Harry Potter and the Pattern of Fate Redue by Sadsack's newAccnt
by SadSackII
Summary: Book 1 The Serpent's Truth: Truth about one founder is not what is taught. Did he see more and be more than taught? Harry and Co. are about to find out that the universe and magic is not what they've learned. Will they survive? Can they grow and return in time to save the school, world, and all they love? pro OOC Ginny(non-fanon or canon) Harry/Multi read AN for more warnings.
1. Chapter 1

**Yes this is me, the writer formerly known as Sadsack77. Yahoo did something weird with my account and I had to drop that monicker for this new one. I loath yahoo about now. Anyhoo, this is the same bloody story and will be continued here as the other is dead on account of half wits and numbskulls. I am sorry that it has taken so long to get this going again but personal issues and a one time dead computer do not make for fun writing.**

Harry Potter and the Pattern of Fate

HP/WOT Fanfiction

Rating: Mature

Genres: Fantasy/ Romance

Characters: Harry, Hermione, Neville

By: SadSack 77

Disclaimer: I am not J. or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor.

Author's Note:

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Hello dear readers and hopefully fellow travelers along the road of this tale. This is meant to be the sole major note for this entire series. This is not a poll style fanfiction with many reader requests taken to shape and shift the story to fit the masses' preferences. Indeed this tale is more or less written in full before publishing here. Please do not reject the work out of hand as it is a fair tale to travel and an honour to put forth here to you, the reader by its humble writer, me. This is also a fanfiction created to meld two greatly loved series into one story in hopes of encouraging readership of both as well as other related fanfictions.

I must point out that to me fanfiction is merely a realm of possibilities written down purely for the pleasure of seeing alternative paths. Some series are excellently planned and feel right more or less as they are. This is the case of Robert Jordan's _Wheel of Time_ , as I have discovered to my great joy since picking up the first book decades ago. Growing up reading the franchise has set me on the beautiful path of a bookworm. A past time that is set ablaze with so many great works of all time and the not so magnificent but pleasurable. This latter grouping is where I place the infinitely fun romp of J. K. Rowling's _Harry Potter_ books. Fanfiction as I see it has provided a way for me to settle some discomforts with these light reads. Thus I have came to why I have chosen to meld a concept in the _Wheel of Time_ \- that of all tales being a part of a complex web of mirror worlds and outcomes to major events- in order to seek peace with the many unaddressed flaws of Harry Potter's heroic tale. A rather windy way of saying that this is less cannon and more Alternate Universe, or Expanded Universe as I call it.

This is where things get dicey, even while adding spice to the tasty tea of both series. Take fair warning here that the reading of this fiction will be fraught with the hazards of spoilers for those that have not read either base series. This can not be helped though I have tried to not give the whole plot away for you. Some things will not be right however if I do not write of their effects on the story and characters.

With all that said I must in good faith include a few more basic warnings to you dear reader.

First and foremost is that this is not a tale for the immature. To write this any other way would dishonour the work of Jordan which is not a teenaged tale. This is also not to say that there will be less than savory convoluted chapters packed with far too much citrus rated moments. Then again there will be some sensuality, violence, adult situations, drinking and drug references, and much more. Please do not read this to a child that loves Potter as it may well hurt that love. Also there will be character death, harems, miner Dumbledore and Weasley bashing, a very powerful Harry and Company, and some dark events effecting these characters. Again necessary to balance the ways of magic that Jordan laid out along with the world he left us as his legacy.

This is all I will say beyond that I have no ownership to either the _Wheel of Time_ or _Harry Potter_ books. They are the properties of J.K. Rowling and Robert Jordan's estate.

 **Warnings:** (All apply for the full series.)

Harry: Powerful, independent, intelligent, and grim

Dumbledore: Minor mild bashing, fallible, good, old

Weasleys: Some bashing for Ron, Molly, and Percy but redeemed. Ginny is a good girl.

Ships: Harry/ Multi; Hermione, Ginny, Luna, Daphne, and a Patil (read to find out who else ;) )

Neville/ a Patil ;)

Fred/ Angelina

George/ Alicia

Sirius/ OC

Remus/ OC

Blaise/ Tracey

Amelia B./ OC

World: Dark AU

Mature: violence, grim character arches, adult situations, drug and alcohol use, harsh language, and sensuality (all types of relationships discussed in the tale Hetero, Slash, FemSlash, May/December, group, non-con, and more; **_You've been warned!_** )

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Disclaimer: I am not J. or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor.

Prologue :Forbidden Discoveries

Rough winds tossed the ship about as the crew worked feverishly to save their scientific vessel along with what they had discovered below the storm tossed surface of the once calm waters. What had been a clear placid day was now a sailor's nightmare, a phantasmal White Squall. Blowing in just as the giant obelisk out of the warm tropical waters of the Carribean but before they could manage to secure it to the deck. Some were already losing their cool logical facade with cries of the lost treasure being cursed because of it.

At over thirty five feet and seemingly made of a single piece of solid metal, which was engraved with a variety of familiar and unfamiliar symbols, it tantalized the oceanic archeological expedition. A private organization had sent them to this out of the way bit of sea to find anything inexplicable. This strange unnatural object more than counted as just such. If not for sighting the heretofore undiscovered ruins of a temple complex where there was supposedly none, they might have missed it. As it were they had to drag it out from an ancient coral reef and from in-between massive stone pillars of some sort, it was an amazingly undamaged find that defied logic. For being lost in the ocean for millennia, it was in perfect condition and gave off a strange radiological signature. Not even a mishap with a hoist hook damaged it but it did destroy any use of communication devices or sonar.

Unfortunately the storm was possibly lost in the static they had been in since excavating the treasure. A terrifying event that threatened to not only lose this find but also send their ship to the bottom alongside the ruins the edifice once called home. Just one more bit of history drowned out here like the lost squadron of World War II fighters, a coal burning ship from the 1800s, and a missing merchant vessel from the turn of the century. More were out there but those were the closest to the ruins. Just more amazing finds if not for the fear they may soon join the giant refuse heap of the region.

"Secure it" roared a man with a long beard and old style round rimmed glasses at a passing wild eyed crewman.

"Are you bloody mental?" The effing things gonna sink us in this" screamed the sailor who had been battening down as to try and weather this deadly sea storm, "Give it the heave or it'll be us down there visiting those other poor sods."

"Do as I say or I'll find another fellow with far more sense. This is the most significant find in our times. Its proof! Proof of an original, singular civilization." The bearded fellow declared while grabbing a hold of the crewman's soaked dungaree shirt. "We've found our true ancestors you simple minded fool. They are our Adam and Eve down there."

"We'll be ruddy well joining them long term if we keep the bloody thing. It weighs more than we can take on in this sort of weather. Which is more fuckin' important, our lives or a giant metal eyesore?" the sailor said with a shove to dislodge the first man. "I have a ruddy family and want to still be-" He was cut off as the beared man had pulled out a pistol.

"You will do as I say if you want to see that family you cherish. Now secure it We'll make for land then." A mad gleam could be made out in the rain soaked face of the first man. " I will see it safe at all cost. It matter more than any of us. We can die but it must make landfall!"

Backing off the sailor sets to work with a nervous eye for the unhinged academic. Unfortunately the ship's second crane pulled lose from its moorings and the swung free to sweep the deck clean including the pair of hapless men. Tossed overboard and into the frothing waves of the sea they were momentarily dazed, but not for long as the edifice provided a shift in the raging angry waters. A massive wave that had been about to drown the ship had instead sunk them while ramming the monstrous metal artifact into the ship.

Struggling to swim back up to the surface, the sailor saw to his horror that not only had the once proud science vessel been breeched amidships, but with a twisting yank the metal artifact was picked up and plunged into it like some massive dagger. A veritable coup de gras as it severed the keel as it passed through the ships heart. A sight that had the sailor cursing the idiocies of academic sorts. His words seemed to summon the bearded man as the fellow now broke the surface of the waves, but unlike the old sea dog he looked in a bad way. More when the man saw the murderous treasure be reclaimed by the deep.

"You've lost it" the bearded academic raged and swam towards it and was caught up in the now sinking ships vortex.

Trying to not have the same fate, the sailor swam frantically away, becoming the sole witness to the third or forth inexplicable event of this expedition. The sudden deadly storm simply disappeared with his ship's passing, leaving him alone and sobbing for his lost mates.

Bobbing along near him was the exploration vessel's zodiac which had been freed by a bit of the ship's radio tower sheering away the rope holding the boat to the stern. Crawling into it he prays he can make it to land and back home safely. He also prays that he could see his children one more time. What he had witnessed here horrified him yes, but did not completely surprise him either. Try as he might ignore magic before today, even seeing his estranged strangely gifted daughter would cheer him. This was all her sorts cup of tea, but unlike it she was a mere child he had disgracefully cast aside.

"I'm so sorry." he wept to the now clear and sunny sky above. "I'm so sorry."

Below the surface the ship had fell in two parts. One rolled away and down a slope that had once held wide stairs leading to the promontory. The other took up residence beside the rest of the lost minutia of ages. Just one more bit of rubbish from the unwary past. As for the bearded man, he had swam as deep as he could ever down and towards his ancient treasure.

While the obelisk returned towards its home the mad man followed. A longing, unthinking lust guided him in his pursuit. Unfortunately he had to breath at some point, when he did a fact of human life became apparent to him too late. Man was not as a fish, water was only meant for drinking.

After a few lucid panic stricken moments of writhing and seeking air he passed away. Slowly his corpse made its way down and came to rest on a pile. A macabre pile even more a marker of the forgotten past than the graveyard of sea and air craft. Negligently the awkward currents of the area laid him beside a skeleton of a man in a U.S. Army Air corps uniform and one of a fifteenth century conquistador. All three were laying oddly prostrate and reaching out towards the far metal artifact. Them and thousands of others with them like a grim mob of lost supplicants that the world had forever cast aside in the stately march of time.

Re-situating itself on its stone dias the obelisk began to glow an eerie shade of greenish blue. Its many markings came aflame with other lights as the sea settled. One in very center and larger than all the rest was of a serpent tied in a locking knot around a few of the seven spokes of a massive wheel. All of the other marks swirled around this one for a moment till coming to rest in the places they were originally.

Far way from this tragedy, those whom had been trying to re-establish contact with the lost vessel for weeks now heard a funny noise that burst from their speakers. It was clearly from a an intelligent source by it near musical rhythm and intonation. Then there was nothing but white noise once more. Dread filled most at that point as many had friends on the now doomed expedition. Others had saw this as their best hope of uncovering the past they knew would reshape the world. But for all it was a day of unimaginable loss.

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Trudging through the frozen landscape of the northern stretches, three men, five women, and a few teams of sled dogs were desperately trying to reach an odd land formation. Shaped similar to a man made hill, it nonetheless could not be. This was supposedly a flat land by all their aerial surveys made over the years of this region. Yet it was real and before them, plus it offered sanctuary from a coming storm that had been building for the last couple of hours.

Working lash and hard commands, the expedition urged the dogs to hurry. Some protection from the high cold winds was better than none. Yes they had tents, but wind was wind. It would be best to hide rather than ride it out. Only a pure blind fool would dare dream that a mere stretch of canvas was capable of holding back the frigid might of the Arctic. Thus they were fighting their way towards this supposedly nonexistent refuge they prayed to be in time. Pop up tents were quick but the windy storm was quicker than that they feared. Storms did not play nice in places such as this. An unnatural feel to the area struck them and their dogs. Balking inexplicably the hearty huskies stopped with their tails tucked accompanied by terrified yowls. No lash or angrily barked command would move them farther. Getting off to drag their recalcitrant hounds the humans were stunned when the beasts shot off back into the oncoming storm.

Why would the crazy pooches do that was a question none could or had time to answer. Now bereft of supplies and the storm threatening to catch them out, they had no choice but to carry on in their course. Many were openly weeping prayers or curses as they fought on towards the offered sanctuary. Running through the forming snowdrifts and cutting gale force winds the humans were terrified, beyond certain that a frigid death awaited them this day.

Soon it became everyone for themselves alone. Reason had left, only terror and a primal need to survive guided them. A couple of the women and one of the men finally pulled up. Fear had reached deep into their subconscious. Together they looked upon the strange unknown hillock and as one turned to flee back after their dogs. The rest pressed on, some even shaking their heads in amazement at such an idiotic act. However it was not long till another woman and the remaining two men also turned away, taking flight as the others had. Leaving the last two women to pause and stare in disbelief after their one time stalwart compatriots.

Safety seemed only a hundred or so yards away. But then these last two saw themselves as by far more logical and the natural leaders of this now dissolved band of adventurers. Both were considered some of the most brilliant people alive today. Lists as long as their arms existed of their degrees and honours. Few humans were their mental equals, thus primal panic did not exist in them. Clearly they were once more shown the most logical and rational.

Together they worked to reach the refuge. Hand in hand they battled the elements on their way towards this unknown goal. Where the rest would surely perish, they would live.

Along the way one of the women, the younger of the pair steps into an unseen crevasse. At first her compatriot and mentor tries to aid her, but ultimately has too let go when younger's head banged hard against a stone out jut that vaguely resembled a part man part goats face. Seeing that blood and life was leaving the unfortunate youthful scholar, the older woman pulled back in shock.

Now all alone the woman struggles on more carefully to not end up as her one time companion. She would live, she had too.

At the foot of the strange hill was a man made structure. By her best guess it was a gate of some sort that was elaborately engraved from what she could see. Seeking to open the entry she could logically be safe inside. However there seemed to be no discernable way to pries it open as none of the art work held any edge or handhold. Taking a gamble she removed her gloves and tries to feel about again.

A mistake as the freezing stonework seals her bare flesh to it. Now panicking she gives a yank and leaves a layer of skin and blood behind. A deep rumble is heard and now her arrogant assurance in her logical mind is shattered at the full weight of the terror her fellows had felt earlier. Unfortunately seeping out of the stone from where her flesh was till gruesomely still attached was a black miasma of wrongness. This frozen flesh startlingly began to smoke and sizzle as if left on a white hot skillet.

"It's been too long." she thought she heard in the depths of her mind and around her.

Turning to flee as her less dismissive fellows had earlier, she trips and falls as the evil vapor surrounds her. The woman didn't even get a chance to scream, nor did she leave a corpse as the foul unholy mist absorbed her whole.

Far away her first compatriots had reached the dogs and the sanctuary of the groups tents just in time for themselves and the petrified dogs. When the storm passed them they couldn't find their compatriots or the strange hill. If not for the horse horrified screaming of the trapped and badly injured scholar, they would have sworn the storm had nightmarishly swallowed the others. By what the girl shrieked it might have.

"We're all doomed!" she wailed over and over except when they pulled her out of the strange carved out ditch. She grasped a hold of the man with madness in her eyes. "WE WE'RE WRONG! We're all wrong! There is a hell and I've seen its master. Nothing is as it seems. HE COMES! Beg mercy and pray for death."

One of the other women noted that the ditch held a frozen stone carved in an alien language. Yet when they tried to come back with a crew the place was gone as well. It truly was as if it had all been a feverish nightmare save the real loss of all their friends and colleagues.

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A darkness swept along the halls. It was incomprehensible and wholly unstoppable. Not even this supposedly impregnable fortress prison was able to with stand it. Passing easily through the twenty feet thick wall as if they were nothing this miasma of pure evil moved freely through stone or cowering body in its movements. The highest and most heavily secured of the many small cells for the darkest of souls was its ultimate destination, or more its lone occupant to be exact. A man once feared justifiably for his cruelness and his insatiable drive to conquer in order to reshape the world into his twisted vision of a utopia. Now he was simply a forgotten old man, a relic forgotten by the world as another man filled the hearts of civilization with dread.

"What? Who's there?" this ancient man asked in alarm, his German accented to modern listeners. His onetime handsome face with its golden mane had capped a finely built body, but all was a wrecked ruin from deprivation and great age. A poor shadow of its past glories when some had dubbed him the Golden One. "Kurt? I wont beg."

"I'm not Kurt. Though I may ask you to beg, but if you come with me, you'll never beg of mortals again my Chosen One." a chilling voice issued out of the swirling shadows.

"Who are you?" the once mighty wizard warrior inquired with a modicum of his once towering demeanor.

"Better my Nea'blis. I have many names but to you I am the Great Lord of the Dark." The voice seemed amused.

"I won't kneel to you Riddle." the ancient prisoner sneered.

"I am not that pathetic pretender. I am the Great Lord. The only Dark Lord. Jac of the Shadows, Old Snap, Keel Breaker, the Hated One, Sightblinder, and so many more that I can go on for eternity. However in the end I am the same no matter the name. I am Shai'tan, the True Ruler of All. I've come to take you away from this prison of your own design. I've decided to place you at my right hand, to be my Voice on this mortal coil. You are to lead my followers and make this world kneel." the fiery chill shattered the once proud man's will to resist.

He fell to his knees in supplication.

"I follow, though I don't hold a wand any longer as mine was stolen from me." he trembled violently.

The implacable voice cackled, that chill sound froze and snapped the seamless solid stone walls, "Swear to me your soul and life to obey me till the very hour of your death. Do this and I'll grant you the True Power my Chosen One."

I swear to you everything I am. Forever, as long as I live and more." the man's sweat froze on his burning flesh.

"Good, now make the world mine as it should be!" the sibilant evilness grew heavier and then the man felt the worst pain of his long life. Its cruel burning sharpness rent his mind, soul, and body. At the same time a veil had been sheared from his eyes and existence. Knowledge beyond measure filled him. Embracing the True power and its antitheses counter part, the One Power together, his once frail frame grew strong again. His dark golden beauty returned in its cold perfection.

He felt a god.

Kurt Lendler, his night gaurd ran in waving his wand high and ready to cast. "Sit down dog! You know th-"

That command was cut short when the wizard screamed a bone chilling noise as his blood began to boil thick and black. Following was his organ when that viscous fluid filled them, rupturing them as his body was picked up easily and wrung out like a dish rag. Flesh began to be peeled from his bones at the same time those bones were freezing and shattering in shotgun like blasts.

Laughing, the former prisoner watched Kurt Lendler's eyes fill with a plaintiff plea for mercy. A look they still held as they were plucked from his skull by solid coiling strands of burning air.

"You did not beg Kurt. Shame on you." this renewed Dark Wizard sneered, "Its time the world begged, some I might even spare. Riddle and my dear friend Albus shall not be so blessed. They are unworthy."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I am not J. or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor.

Chapter One: Finding One's Feet

(/ **text** /= Excerpt from cannon)

/ **The Wheel of Time turns and Ages come and pass, leaving memories that become legend. Legend fades to myth, and even myth is long forgotten when the Age that gave it birth comes again. In one Age, called the** / Seventh/ **Age by some, an Age yet to come, an Age long past, a wind rose in the** / mountains of Scotland./ **The wind was not the beginning. There are neither beginnings nor endings to the turning of the Wheel of Time. But it was a beginning.** /

Chilled and howling the wind rages across the white capped peaks. Snow is stirred by its swirling force in a cold wall of icy air. Winding its way slowly down the ancient sentinels of the Earth's volatile upheavals, the power it gains is exponential. Buffeting the rocky sides with a vengeful seeming rage. Hardy goats and brave climbers are forced to seek shelter from the tempest. Lower down the mountains it picks up the trailers of an earlier snow storm transforming it into a bitter blizzard. Creating a world of white in place of the verdant greens and browns that was the foothills of these millennia old stone monarchs.

Surging and billowing in its decent to the large bases of this cold northern range it brings winter's fury to the vast Black Lake in a mostly forgotten hidden vale. Purposely forced out of the memory of most mankind by the careful skill of those that occupy it in order to utilize it for reasons only they claim to know and understand. Overlooking the lake is an ancient keep with walls and spires that defy logic and embrace absurd possibility. Battering its wrathful hate against those walls, the wind seeks to remind those within of powers greater than they. If only they took time to realize the message's truth, for a bit of humility would stand them in good stead. Unfortunately these are a faulty group of creatures, they are humans and those beings never accept the existence of powers beyond them.

Standing and staring out a window in a cozily warmed dorm room, a youth not quite a man but no longer merely a boy, held a treasured letter from his erstwhile godfather. It was full of advice about how to approach life beyond studies and surviving the next day. Though surviving was a ready worry to the lad, more these days with this mad tournament he had no option but to compete in. Yet he cherished every word from his godfather, one of his last and only links to his departed parents. Even if some of what was written was a bit much for the wizard to take in just now, they were wisdom he'd try to set sail under. Timely so, what with the night's festivities looming.

"Dear Pup,

I heard that you have a ball coming at Hogwarts! This is a brilliant time to

live and enjoy being young. Take advantage of it Pup. Chase those bountifully

numerous members of the far fairer sex at Hogwarts till you catch a few. Both the

chase and capture are worth it. Just try not to bestow any nine month bundles about.

Well unless you fancy the ol' Ball and Chain this early in your life. Best to stick to safer

sports such as tonsil Quidditch and the ever so delightful Feel Out and Guess.

Now here is a truth about life, Pup. I heard it on one of Lily's muggle records.

"If you can't have the one you want, love the one your with." Another said, "You can't

always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need." Heed these words.

They can and do lead to all sorts of fun and excitement. Trust me.

Well stay alert and have a Ball. Yule be having one if you do as I suggest, my

rather far too serious young Pup. Let the expert at that be your guide.

Lovingly Running from the bad ol' Dogcatcher.

Snuffles.

P.S. Score a few well played snoggings for me will you.

S."

Harry reread the letter so often, the words were indelibly imprinted on his mind. It had him re-evaluating his coming night, "Parvati is really a nice girl. She's far from being Cho, but maybe she can be fun to hang around still. Could she want to have fun? Can I have fun with her?" He pensively pondered not for the first time since receiving his letter.

It was no secret that Harry had asked Parvati to the Yule Ball in a desperation bid to not go it alone. That and he mentally understood that she was gorgeous and acted interested in him. Maybe he had ended up with who he needed. However he still ached for the attention of Cho.

Sighing he reread the letter. "Love the one your with?"

She did have rather nice eyes and a bubbly personality. "Maybe that's what I need. Fun with a fun girl? Be a bloody brilliant change of pace for me. Fun without the dread of a sudden ugly death at the end of it all. She does smell nice too."

"What are you on about mate? You've read that thing so often today its falling apart. By Merlin's soggy pants you probably know it by heart now. Come on give me a hand with this ruddy nightmare will you?" Ron, his bestmate whined pleadingly. "This bloody thing is going to kill me."

"Maybe you shouldn't have been so hard on Hermione. She would've likely helped better than I ever could hope to." Harry tried to keep the sharp edge from his voice. All day the red head has been saying that Hermione was more or less simply just a crazy cat lady in the make and how unfair it was that Harry was dressed nice. I was getting beyond the point of reason for Harry.

"Come off it will you, I don't know why she lied like she did." was his bestmate's defense.

Harry rolled his eyes with a sighed, "Fine. Just don't blame me for messing this up."

"How could you? Just look at the ruddy thing, a bleeding Maroon Nightmare it is!" Ron violently shook the rather hideous ancient dress robes. "What was my mum thinking?"

Setting to work they tried to trim off most of the antiquated off colour lace. However the general maroon colour and off-putting smell were factor as well in its being more rubbish than clothing for a formal event. It had the distinct aroma of mothballs and cat markings, neither were odors that most sane humans adored. Plus it had a clearly defined problem of having sun damage fading at least half of it. Shopping thriftily does not always make for the best results or bargain.

Giving up on doing much more, the boys troop down to face the Yule Ball. Already Ron had launched into a bellyache about how Hermione was just too stuck up on herself to accept Ron's ever so gracious offer of taking her along. With his godfather's voice ringing in his ears, Harry tuned out his mate's annoying grumbling.

"Well Padma should turn out to be a great date." he tersely tried to remind the grouchy ginger, "Maybe you should just relax and forget Hermione."

"Forget Hermione? When I know she's up there weeping at being left out again. You're cold mate. Don't you even care about her?" accused Ron incredulously.

Groaning in exasperation, Harry replied tiredly, "If she is its her own fault as you say. Then again maybe she does have a date. If I wasn't so caught up on Cho maybe I would have asked her. Would you have been this wound up then?"

Spluttering, Ron tried to comprehend that, "You ... You fancy Hermione?"

"I don't know. Maybe, but the point is we have our own dates to worry about. Personally I'm going to take Sirius' advice, and love the one I'm with. That happens to be Parvati Patil, not Cho Chang. Maybe you should try having fun with Padma the brilliant Ravenclaw, and not think on Hermione the brilliant Gryffendor." Harry snapped finally and lectured the git.

All around were people eavesdropping or just blatantly watching the two wizards. Seeing this Harry grabs Ron's elbow and marches him along, "Come on lets get to this"

"But you said you fancy Hermione!" Ron obviously had not listened as he spluttered in shock.

Growling Harry answered, "I said I don't know. Maybe I do. Maybe I fancy Ginny too. Ron the point I'm making is that you should open up to the idea of others. If we would have not sat and waited before asking someone, life might have let us have a chance at the ones we wanted first. Then again maybe they're not who we need. Now I fully plan to go and enjoy my time with Parvati. As I asked for you, please do the same with Padma."

Mutely Ron followed along, or more to the point was dragged by Harry. When he resisted, Harry just gripped tighter. Down they went till they neared the Great Hall, that is where he was struck dumb. Waiting together were the twins, brightly smiling like dual suns. "They're beautiful."

"What? Who is?" Ron asked as he finally freed himself.

"You can't be serious? Look you great prat!" Harry waved towards their awaiting dates, "They're a pair of angels. We rolled a lucky number this time, I tell you."

Still confused and more than a bit wrapped up in being surly, Ron looked askance at him. "You're barking! I don't see anyone like that."

"Brilliant. Just bloody well brilliant, I have a daft bugger coming along on a double date. You know what, I can't help wondering if the reason Hermione didn't go with you is that you can't see what you have." Harry growled in a slow boiling anger. Only Ron took offense at that.

Feeling Ron's fist connect with his face, Harry was stunned in more ways than one. "Just because you're my mate doesn't give you the right to be a toerag." Ron snarled in mutual anger, "You just have went barmy with that letter and you choose to take it out on me! Right nice of you mate."

A bit dazed, Harry takes a deep breath, "No Ron, I'm trying to be reasonable is all. That bloody well hurt mate! I just want us to enjoy this Yule Ball is all."

"Sorry ... I just lost it is all. Well if we must lets get done with this." Ron trundled off looking more like a man going to his execution than a date with an exceptionally pretty witch.

Rubbing his cheek and shaking off the dizziness alongside his irritation, Harry waved down to Parvati, who was now staring in concern. Trying not to alarm her, he smiled warmly. That brought back her devastatingly dazzling smile for him.

Yes tonight would be fun. Maybe this could lead to more than a single date.

Trotting down behind, and then passing Ron, Harry kept eye contact with Parvati. Why he had never noticed the girls around him besides Cho, he could only guess. Mentally he attributed it to his being a bigger daft bugger than his bestmate was being. Definitely this would have to change. Why couldn't he be more open to spending time with a witch or two?

Behind him Ron was mumbling, "Stupid cow, Hermione why did you turn me down?"

Avoiding the impulse to answer that Harry concentrated on his date. Glad that he didn't make a right fool of himself on his way down the stairs. That would've effectively killed the mood of his evening. Timidly the twins came to meet him and Ron, forming two completely differing couples.

Where Harry caused Parvati to swoon and giggle girlishly with his taking and kissing her hand followed by, "You look amazing. I hope I can meet your standards."

Ron on the other hand grumped, "Come on you. Lets get in there, I'm hungry." Causing Padma to frown and give Parvati a strange look as she followed the uncouth conjuror.

Holding Parvati's hand still, Harry apologized. "He hates his robes and being turned down."

Sniffing disdainfully she replied, "I was afraid of what was going on. Why did he hit you up there?" Her other hand took his chin so that she could examen his cheek.

Wishing to not ruin his own date, he mumbled out, "I told him to go have fun and not worry over Hermione turning him down."

Sighing Parvati closes her eyes with a tired shake of her head, "What an idiot. I hope he doesn't ruin my sister's night. By the way Harry, you look amazing too."

"Thank you." he grinned with a bit of searing heat infusing his own face and ears.

"Now you look absolutely adorable." she blushingly laughed turning her face away demurely, then yelped, "Oh here comes McGonagall. You ready?"

A chill came to his heart, freezing his mind in the process, "Parvati I - I'm not - I don't know how to dance."

Momentarily gobsmacked, she stared at him, then giggled, "Well, quick, let me show you a simple step or two. We don't have much time, but it might help."

"I'm sorry about this." he mumbled quietly.

Tip toeing up into his arms she gave his bruised cheek a kiss, "Don't be. I'm more interested in you than just if you can waltz or not."

Following her lead he tried desperately to learn what he could. In the process he found it quite fun and rather stimulating to have her in his arms like this. Sensory overload was highly likely to occur by how she smelled heavenly, her angelic face smiling for him, and the delightful warmth of her slight body next to his. An altogether intoxicating moment. It was a miracle he learned a thing at all, but he did manage to. More so with McGonagall having a small fit till she learned what the problem was.

That lead to the harried Transfigurations' professor to give him a few rushed pointers as well. What she demanded though made Harry hesitant to reply, "Gracious me dear boy! Why in all that is holy did you not come to me earlier with this? Why hadn't your relatives shown you some basics in the sophisticated art of dance?"

He was saved from answering by Filch pounding his way over. "Pardon me ma'am but the Headmaster wishes for us to start the feast soon."

"Oh bother, well Harry, Parvati that will have to do. Come along then." she made to bustle away when she turned to smile on them, a tiny tear in each eye as she spoke, "You two make a fine couple."

Getting ushered into place, Harry and Parvati nervously shared a smile. This was turning out to be a much better night than what he thought it would be like when Cho turned him down. Holding Parvati's hand, he felt a wealthy man. Life was good.

"Ooh, Harry look." Parvati pointed behind them. "She's beautiful!"

Caught up in his dates own beauty it took him a second or two to realize what she'd said.

Following her gaze, he saw Hermione standing shyly beside Krum. Harry's mind went into overdrive but in six different directions. First thought was, "Hermione looks amazing!" A fact he found startling in how once again he had failed to realize it till now. Second thought was his pondering why he was finding his heart a little sick that she wasn't going with him. Third of these dominating thoughts was, "Ron's going to do his nut over this." As for the rest of the things Harry's mind was grappling with were how lovely Parvati was and what his blessed godfather had so timely advised him of. The old dog was a saint among men for opening Harry's eyes as he had.

"Hello Harry." Hermione blushingly giggled.

"I told Ron you weren't lying. He took exception to it." Harry laughed while Parvati slipped in under his arm. "You look stunning Hermione. Hello Viktor, please be good to my friend."

Parvati snickered conspiratorially as she let Harry pull her in a bit closer. "He took more than an _exception_. He punched Harry, but my lovely date here still acted the gentlewizard and didn't let the git push him into a fight."

Horror filled Hermione's eyes but before anything more could be said they were ordered into the Great hall. As if they were all visiting dignitaries, they were to be announced by McGonagall before walking in as couples with their dates. Harry, as the last chosen Champion, was to come in last with Parvati.

Leaning in for her alone to hear, he whispered, "Thank you for teaching me a little dancing. I'm terrified I'll end up humiliating us. Knowing my luck, I'm liable to end us up on our bums before the night is over."

"As long as you let my bum fall on you in the offing." she saucily smirked with a kiss for his cheek.

He chuckled at that, while his face erupted in flames once more. "That may just encourage me." Her eyes studied him for a second with a smile that was melting his heart.

"You should smile more." she too began to blush to accompany her heart stopping smile, "It suits you better than grumping about."

Hearing their names called the couple made their entrance, with all that had went on, they were both full of smiles and blushes. For a moment he felt that it was just the two of them. Life had been distilled down to him and Parvati on a stroll in a winter wonderland. A thrilling euphoria buoyed him from the terror he always felt when he was to be on display. With it banished for the time being he may actually survive the Yule Ball.

Sadly two things occurred to put a damper on the general feeling of goodwill of his night. Nothing that ground shakingly disastrous, but then again nothing all that pleasant either. Starting off was Ron, yet again. Harry had been right, his bestmate was doing his nut at the sight of a positively glowing Hermione. He hoped maybe it was just that she was with Krum. But there was a niggling feeling that if she had come with anyone other than Ron, the ginger git would be acting the exact same way. A sinking feeling hit him then that maybe it would have been even worse if Harry had taken her instead of Parvati. Poor Padma was getting the brunt of it by how sulky she looked. Following this bit of unwanted drama was a another Weasley ironically enough. Ron's snobbish older brother Percy Weasley, to be exact. Whom was standing at the school's head table with a self important arrogance while he stared loftily down on everyone there. Sniffing haughtily, Ron's brother indicated that Harry and Parvati would be sitting next him for the Feast.

Slowing their stride a bit, he whispered half jokingly to her, "Parvati, please help keep me awake here. Percy is going to bore me to death with some off topic like cauldron failures and how he alone has fixed it all personally by filing the perfect report over it. He was at it all summer. I doubt he would change in the mean time."

"Deal if you help me rescue Pads. She looks miserable with Ron." she too half joked, then gave the ginger wizard a glare that would have skewered him if her eyes were daggers, "I feel responsible for setting them up."

"I was the idiot who asked for him." Harry pointed out with growing disappointment for his bestmate. "I'll help any way I can."

Hugging his arm Parvati beamed happily at him, "I'll hold you to that."

Sadly as much as she tried to keep control of Harry's time and conversation, Percy dominated it by seemingly dismissing Parvati's existence in total. Though Harry found it interesting to learn of Barty Crouch's ill health. It was also clear that Ron was ignoring Padma just as badly while burning holes into Hermione and Krum. Funnily Harry was less than worried about Cho's being Cedric's date.

All in all though, he was finding it pleasurable to be with Parvati. Her mind worked differently from the only witch he ever talked all that much with, Hermione Granger. Where it was a lot of schoolwork and exercises in intelligence with his best friend, Parvati was inclined to more mundane discussions. Also Hermione never held his hand so tenderly while giving him secret smiles just for the two of them. Of course Ron might very well have lost it if they ever did act that way.

Playing with his knuckles, Parvati asked, "What are you thinking, Harry?"

"That my godfather was right. I just needed to let go and have fun." he took her hand in both of his. "I'm having a great time. Asking you out was a good turn for me. I just hope I don't disappoint you for saying yes."

Grinning impishly, she teased, "Well as long as you sweep me off my feet dancing, I'll be happy. More if you catch me if we fall. You look like a comfy seat to me."

"Me? I'm a scrawny specky git. More like I'll be all boney and pokey." he countered, causing her to laugh out loud. An act that earned glares from Percy, Karkaroff, Ron, and a look of pleading envy from Padma. Only the last did Harry feel apologetic for.

Avoiding getting trapped into a conversation by Percy may have been impossible, but that was not the case of not thinking overly long on Cho. Letting Parvati hold all his time and attention had made worry over the Ravenclaw vanish. Sharing a nice conversation on life as a whole and astutely concentrating on his date's feelings over it all taught him a lot. Not all of it was what she wished for the next year, but also how to talk with a girl for more than about what some obscure book said. It was enlightening. Not that he was upset with Hermione or disliked talking with her. On the contrary this new depth of discussion intrigued him. Would Hermione open up more if he talked with her like this as well?

Of course that created another problem, or highlighted an old overlooked one. What would Ron do if Harry and Hermione opened up this way? Answering that was simple and plainly written on Ron's face while the ginger git glared at Krum.

When the meal ended Parvati, glowing in a blissful smile, asked him, "Are you ready?"

It was time? Could he handle this dance? Gazing into her eyes gave him the answer. "To be spending the night holding you close to me? That's a tough one, but I believe my only answer could be an emphatic," he paused then said with a dramatic grin, "yes please!"

She demurely chuckled, "Oh, Harry. Cheeky bugger."

He stood and helped her up with every once of courtly grace he could muster as his heart fluttered. Their eyes drank in each other for a moment. Again the world was just the two of them in a dreamland of winter.

Taking her hand with a kiss he led her to the floor. A mad horde of butterflies flitted around his stomach, but there was her alluring scent calming him. Sniggers from the crowd made him self-conscious, but there was her eyes compelling him to forget everything except her. Ron was off to the side pouting about being left out even if Padma sat forlornly beside him. However all that melted away as Harry felt Parvati's warm slender body in his arms, banishing the dark surliness of his bestmate and the rest of the crazy world outside of them. In his mind was the song lyrics his godfather had quoted to him. Loving and needing Parvati filled him to overflowing.

When the music started it was a natural thing, to just dance and soak in the tender presence of each other. Around and around they spun, free of concern and just themselves alone. Hesitant at first, his steps were imperfect. Slowly he came to relax as her glowing encouraging eyes held his captive. Confidence and a quick study had him taking control. Again not perfect, they nonetheless had become accustomed to each other, letting Parvati let go as well.

They stayed out on the dance floor dancing to the next song. Though it was awkward at first, they soon had reached a level of comfort with each other. By the third song, Harry was winded but amazed to find it was a slow very intimate piece. Hesitant once more, but not willing to give up now, he opened his arms. A questioning hopeful look on his face for his breathless breathtaking date. Quirking a playful grin for him she slid into his awaiting empty arms. A place that he rather liked having her in, more when her own arms snaked around his neck. She was so slight and beautiful he felt so powerful holding her like this.

Now being so close and wrapped into each other, they danced. Few times in his life had he felt a perfect peace, this was one. It was glorious. Parvati was beyond description as she cuddled into his embrace. Finding transcendence in each others eyes they swayed and stepped to the slow metered tempo and longing lyrics. When it ended he wanted to cry in yearning to stay in that incredible moment.

Then it happened, Parvati standing on tiptoes captured his lips with a tender chaste kiss, "I think I can fall for a boy like you, Harry."

Feeling giddy with his first kiss he creakily replied, "I know I can for you, Parvati."

"That's what I hoped for." she grinned with a blush. "We really should rescue my sister now though."

"Oh bugger that's right!" he blurted out. "Do you care if I dance with her a couple of times? She should have some fun too, and I owe her."

It happened again, Parvati kissed him and sent his heart and mind on holiday in some sunny forgotten island. However this time he caught her and didn't let her go without another. A glazed blissful smile dominated her face when they parted.

"Lets go before I refuse to give you up at all." She sighed then giggled. At one time he didn't understand or like a girl's giggle. Now at least he didn't mind it a whit.

Together they found Padma and Ron sitting, staring off in different directions. Harry's annoying bestmate was glaring at Hermione and Krum whirling about in the current song's swift beat. When he saw Harry, an accusatory glare filled the red headed wizard's eyes but he didn't say a word. On the other hand hope blossomed on Padma's face. So much like Parvati's it caught his heart to see the anguish there.

"Care to dance? I wore out your sister's toes and she needs to escape an elephant like me." Harry stretched out his hand to his date's twin sister. Parvati swatted his shoulder playfully while giving her twin an urging nod.

"A toe or two wont cost me too much. I'm your's take me!" Padma beamed up at them.

"Oi! That's my date mate! What are you doing?" Ron now spoke up with an accusatory snarl.

Parvati stood before Harry defensively, "He's doing what you seem incapable of doing, showing a girl a good time. Grow up Weasley. If you would have been half the wizard Harry was, you'd not have to ask." That shut Ron up. It also had him pointedly ignore them by turning away from them.

Wishing to not hurt his friend's feeling but also wanting to do what Sirius suggested, Harry led Padma out to the dance floor. Demurely she let him take her along with a brilliant blush and silent thank you for her sister.

"I wasn't kidding about the toes. I'm pants at dancing." he confessed before the next song started up. All around them couples were having fun, and not caring a bit if Ron was acting a prat and pouting. "But I can try and make up for Ron's being a ruddy great git at least."

Beaming she laughed, "I was serious too. I was dying sitting there alone."

Dancing with Padma was brilliant. Plus Harry was positive he had successfully not broke any of her delicate toes. Strangely though he found himself feeling the same for Padma as he did for Parvati. They were amazing witches, and he truly fancied them.

Stopping after three songs, they saw that Ron had left Parvati and was at a corner table balefully glaring at everyone. But Neville, Ginny, and Hermione had joined her. The last was crying into Ron's baby sister's arms, whom was glaring white lipped at the git. This could not be good, not at all. Harry knew it had to do with something his oft times prat of a bestmate had done.

Taking Padma's hand he led them back. However his date's sister stopped him. "Harry, you're forgiven for setting me up with Ron. More than." Then quickly she kissed his cheek while turning a fine shade of red. "I just wanted you to know."

Gobsmacked but in a very good way he half floated in a conflicted befuddlement back to their table. How could he even think of fancying two witches, let alone twin sisters. But then again he was still coming to grips with being on a date at all. Those concerns had to wait for now as he had to see to Hermione.

"What did Ron do now?" he growled tiredly.

Padma squeezed his hand reassuringly, "He never stopped going on about how Hermione was being a traitorous liar. He acted as if I was not here or were more some troublesome insect if I said a word."

"Brilliant!" Harry cheered sarcastically.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I am not J. or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Two: Paths Untaken

Joining his date and friends in dread of what his best mate had done made Harry hope that nothing irreversible had occurred. With all of his friend's problems, Ron still was his best mate. A friendship a man didn't just toss out in the rubbish bin without a second thought. However Hermione was just as dear to him as the youngest Weasley. This was going to be ugly if Harry could rely on what happened in third year with Crookshanks and Scabbers.

Walking hand in hand with Padma, he mentally prepared himself for facing the worst. Luckily Padma seemed to sense this and didn't let go of his hand. Parvati gave them an odd look but had pulled a couple of seats out for them. Both Patils took the seats beside him, and casually held his hands. It felt terribly nice as he knew that this might be the final break between Ron and Hermione, and maybe the end of his own friendship with one or both of them.

"What did Ron do?" he cut straight to what he expected was the problem, namely Ron being Ron. That was always a catastrophe waiting to happen.

Hermione looked up sharply, "Harry promise not to get upset with him!"

"Depends on what he's done. I love him like a brother, but he can be a right rotten git." Harry irritably replied. "But I suppose I can at least try not to lose it with the prat."

Ron's little sister, Ginny bit her lip to not say anything to that. Parvati was not so inhibited. "Hermione and Krum came and sat with us after having danced together most of the time. They had been having a great time, like us. That just couldn't stand with Ron. He threw a royal tantrum about traitors, liars, and birds stealing his best mate. Krum was getting unhappy with all that but Neville and Ginny -"

She was cut off by the red headed witch, "He was mean to Neville and his dancing. I threatened to hex him for it too. I'm not as creative or forgiving as you two either. However my dear sweet brother chose to leave. But not willing to just leave us alone if he was, Ron mumbled something only Krum heard. Taking offense Krum followed the git. What ever was said or done led to Karkaroff taking Krum away. They just left."

"It was bad Harry." Neville emphasized for him.

"Bugger." Sighed Harry in frustration as he glanced Ron's way. "Hermione, I'm sorry that happened. I truly am. He must have thought I had abandoned him as well so he'd just go ahead and have a go at Krum."

"Why would he think that?" Hermione asked tentatively.

Not wanting to give out the secret of his godfather in front of the others, Harry carefully phrased his reply, "I was trying some advice out from a close friend of the family."

That worked as she let her eyes widened a bit, then waterily she inquired, "What did the shaggy fellow suggest, Harry?"

Barking a quick laugh at her description of Sirius, he answered, "Just to enjoy the Yule Ball and life in general with who you're with. They might be who you need."

Both Patils giggled and cradled his hands. It felt more than a bit nice. Funnily Ginny got a strange look on her face at that. Whereas Neville nodded his head in total agreement and smiled at Ginny, but his eyes kept flicking back and forth between Hermione and Parvati. Hermione simply smiled a tired sad little twitch of her lips.

"I-" she was about to begin when her face crumbled into tears again.

"Oi, Padma, Harry you two finished prancing about like wankers now? I was thinking of raiding the kitchen as I'm starving and can't stand the smell here." Ron spoke up as he came over.

Taking a deep breath Harry amazingly restrained himself from snarling at the git. "No I was about to ask Hermione to dance as her date has been stolen. You go on ahead."

Ron looked gobsmacked but he only mumbled, "Oh, alright... Well I'll... I'll just go on."

Watching the git go, Harry felt wrenched in two. Loyalty to both his friends was at war here once again. Keeping the peace was not going to be easy, maybe impossible. If only Ron would have listened to Sirius' advice as well. "If wishes were fishes." Harry sighed, then stood and approached Hermione. "May I have this dance milady?" He asked with a florid if wobbly bow.

Rolling her eyes while sniffling cheerily she held out her hand, "You may dear sir." Then waterily chuckled as she was hoisted up by him.

Neville turned to Parvati hesitantly asking, "May I?"

"Why not!" Harry's date laughed and bounced over to Neville's side.

The four of them hit the floor and let the music roll them along. The first song was frantically paced and left Harry and Hermione gasping for breath in each others arms. A perfect start to the next song, another slow intimate ode to a lost love. Hermione began to cry a bit into his chest.

"I just said yes because neither of you seemed to notice me. Now Ron acts as if I should have stayed in Gryffindor Tower crying." She wept bitterly in confused hopelessness.

Petting her hair Harry comforted her, "Ron just doesn't want to face the fact we're all growing up. Look he tried to make me, Parvati, and Padma miserable because we let ourselves have fun. Maybe we should let him simmer somewhat in his own stew. We can hope he figures out that we have feelings and needs too." That seemed to help her tears dry a little.

Swaying to and fro, they stayed silent for a bit. In this new era of loving the one your with, Harry began to notice more and more that Hermione was very much a pretty witch. One that had dramatically changed since the year began. "Your teeth! They're smaller aren't they?" He squawked in realization.

Blushing a deep red Hermione ducked her head, "I let Madam Pomfrey go on a bit more than I should. My mum and dad will be put out, but I ... I was tired of being ugly. Just Bucky the Goodwitch, that's me."

Stopping their dance Harry softly put a stop to that, "You were never ugly or just Bucky to me. You can be a bit bossy and scary at times but never ugly."

"Even last year when I turned in your Firebolt?" she whispered worriedly.

"I was mad about the broom. I never saw you as ugly, just overbearing." he answered truthfully, "We both wanted something then, but didn't go about getting it very well."

She melted his heart with a smile, "Thanks Harry." Her eyes held secrets that he found himself longing to find out. Had their friendship grown into possibly allowing more? Was it wrong if he hoped it might have?

They danced on in silence, but Harry felt more closer to Hermione than he'd ever thought of being. Holding her like this gave him hope that maybe they could be much more. Once again this magical night, Sirius had been proven right.

All to soon the song had ended.

"Harry... Why didn't you ask me?" she asked, not letting him go.

"The simple truth is, I was a git on par with Ron." he replied sadly, "I had to grow up."

Funny thoughts occur in dances like this. Harry found he liked this surprise though as Hermione's lips brushed his. Feathery light and so quick it might have been thought just his imagination but he was absolutely positive it happened. "I'm glad you did, even if a bit late. Care to get a drink?"

Touching his lips he felt like floating, "Sounds great." Then he saw Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle harassing Ginny and Padma, "Bugger Hermione, Draco and his Baboon Platoon is after Ginny and Pads."

Turning she saw the scene of Draco sneering as he tried to grab Ginny's chin only for the red headed witch to bat his hand away. Frostily Hermione hissed, "I may break his nose this time. Filthy minded prat would deserve it!"

"It might make him look better as well." Harry coldly chuckled.

Together they stormed back. Idly Harry's mind wondered if there was a rule written somewhere stating that all gits must come out and ruin times like these. But mostly his mind thought of turning Draco into a radish. At least then he could be put to some use outside of being a sharp pain in his arse.

Looking around quickly tells him that none of the teachers were giving Draco a second glance. Part of that was most were caught up in a heated discussion with the Tri-Wizard officials or were on patrol for rule breakers in the halls and outside. Trust Malfoy to find a hole in the coverage of watchers, and to create a problem for others by it. Also trust those supposed to be tasked with watching to let him slip through.

Descending on the Slytherins, Harry had already had a spell or two ready for the trio. Nasty ones to match the prats and most likely would earn him a detention, but some times it was worth it. This definitely fit that.

"If you bathed more often Weaslette, a proper witch may lurk under all that grime you've wallowed in. What say you Goyle?" Draco sneered vindictively.

"I'd make her one." The human orangutang leered, "I'd even plug the wog there."

"Don't say that. You'll be getting Weasleby's sloppy seconds."

Ginny was carefully getting her wand from her purse Harry noted. He was also ready to cast when Fred, George, Angelina, and Alicia showed up. Judging by the look in the Weasley Twins' eyes they'd heard what was suggested. However it was Parvati that cast from Neville's side, "Nasus Semper Adficio!"

Harry had never heard that particular curse or hex before, however he had to admit it was rather funny. Pouring forth from Draco's sharp nose was long streamers of snot close on three feet in length and maybe growing by the time one considered the pull of gravity and inertia as the ponce fled at a full clip out of there. Crabbe and Goyle were none too slow in following in his wake.

"Bravo! Bravo, Parvati!" clapped Alicia ecstatically.

"Bit gross but a fine display all told." Angelina laughed.

"No digging for gold from him I suppose." Fred chimed in.

"Nothing doing brother mine, he's a Malfoy its what they do." George amended.

Harry had the distinct feeling the ponce would make straight for Snape. "Lets move along. If a certain greasy git catches wind of this we'll be in for it. I'd rather spend

the night outside of that one's claws. Ginny I was hoping to steal a dance or two with you away from Neville here, would you care to call it a debt to you for another day?"

Her eyes grew wide and longing, "I'll ... I'll hold you to it."

Packing it in and scooting on out of there they took to their heels. With Harry, Fred, and George leading the way, the band of jolly Gryffendors and one Ravenclaw moved well through the halls. Unfortunately they came upon trouble in two of the best routes to safety available to them. In one hall was the furball of all things rotten, Mrs. Norris, who was currently watching the path with malignant zeal. Staying out of its way, the group made for the Main Stairs and quickly had to backtrack as Peeves was throwing full inkwells like a demented rain down on fool hardy travelers that way.

This unwelcome discovery left their options limited and a bit more adventuresome. One led to an unused section of the Castle even Fred and George only cursorily explored. The other down and out near where Snape was last seen. Choosing the unknown to sidestep finding time with the Potion's Masters barrels of the unholiest of muck, they quietly avoided the as yet unaware Mrs. Norris to travel the long forgotten wing. Only they saw they were not alone.

"Someones down there?" George asked in shock.

"It looks to be a girl in a nightgown." Fred concurred with a shake of his head.

Gazing down the way in a dreamy stupor was a small blond witch humming a song and meandering about aimlessly once she started to move. She was barefoot and had her wand tucked away in her ear. By what could be discerned of her tune that she was humming it was a happy jaunty one at least. In Harry's youthful opinion, she seemed quite odd, and that was being polite. Alarmingly in the hallway was a bit of hoarfrost covering floor and walls, worrying him for the girl's feet.

"Poor thing will freeze to death." Angelina noted sadly.

Padma peered down to see for herself, then barked a sudden laugh that had her blush in embarrassment at the other's dark looks, "It's Luna Lovegood. She's quite harmless."

"You mean Xeno's little girl is that little slip?" George chuckled after he spoke.

"If she is it explains a lot about the Quibbler." Fred noted with a grin.

Off down the hall they had just left was heavy booted footsteps and older sounding voices. Hearing these Neville trembled out, "Snape's faster than we thought."

"Quick we can make it. There is an odd room hidden down here." George urged them on with a traffic cop wave towards the dazed waif.

Fred paled , "Not the one with the wonky carvings?"

Shrugging George affirmed with a sigh, "The very one."

"It left us cold just taking a looksy." whined the other.

"Well do you fancy Snape making us miss the next task?" was the reply.

"What's wrong with it?" Padma asked hesitantly.

"Never mind that, lets get the poor girl and go. I don't wish to face expulsion for whatever Draco trumps up." Hermione looked back with panic in her eyes.

"Poor Luna shouldn't be punished for us." Ginny added urgently. "She's picked on as it is. She never does any harm to any one, even if they deserve it."

Harry's mind was made up with that, as he shrugged, "We have no choice. We'll grab Luna and hide this out. How bad can a room be?"

"Bad." the Weasley Twins shivered in unison but resumed the lead of the expedition.

Catching up to the wide eyed blond girl, they saw that she was most likely sleepwalking. Her feet were turning blue from the cold, as were her lips. Making a snap decision Harry gathered the tiny thing up bridal style with a small grunt. Luna responded by snuggling into a cozier position with a sigh of relief, "My Warder..."

"Should I get jealous?" Pervati teased him with a shiny eyed smile, "She seems to have taken to you rather well."

"No, I think it's because I'm warm." He whispered as they rushed away once the dear was situated somewhat.

More voices could be heard from elsewhere, coming nearer towards them. Giving a fire to their speed, the group lost any heed to stealth in their flight. Luckily the room was not far away as Fred dashed ahead to hold aside a giant black tapestry of a snake eating its own tail, wrapped around a spinning wheel. The center axle of the wheel was a sort of yin-yang sign. Seeing this gave Harry a slight pause, it was so out of place here in Hogwarts- a thousand plus year old English school of magic. Putting it to the back of his mind with the nearing of both sets of footsteps and voices, he prayed they would make it.

Holding the secret door open, George waved the girls in first. Harry came in last except for the ne'er-do-well pair of wizards. They were right, the room left a strange prickly feel inside him he discovered upon entry. A carved wall of writing in a language or runes he found pretty if unintelligible pulled on him, compelling him to read the inscription if he could have. And he was not alone in this as all of them were staring at the wall, with Hermione having her hand half raised in either a question or answer.

"Told you lot, this was a wonky room." Fred whispered in semi-reverence.

Harry thought of answering, except Luna squeezed him tighter. She was shivering and nuzzling his neck in search of something. A chill clinging to her flesh made him wish to warm her as best he could. Plus they were hearing voices much closer now.

Frantically Fred and George, aided by the girls, tried to find another secret way out. Being a bit on the clumsy side, Neville avoided getting in the way by using his heftier weight to hold the door closed. Hogwarts was chock full of false doors so maybe their pursuers would think this just one more in the lot.

Ginny had a determined frown on her face as she aided in the search, letting her hands feel the far carved wall. Sounds of the tapestry shifting had her jump in fright, laying her hand on a pure white ivory tear drop type inlay. A fraction of time latter, George's hand rested on a black claw type inlay while examining the lower wall. Startling them all these two inlays gave a sighing hiss before popping of the wall, to zoom together in a loud snap, forming a symbol like the tapestry's wheel.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Creeping about the castle on a lark, Daphne, her cousin Tracey, and their friend Blaise had slipped away from Draco and his Knuckledraggers. Why they had to put up with that trio of Death Eater Youth galled her to no end. Their fearless, and rarely bathed, Head of House had taken it into his head that Draco could do no wrong. Acting accordingly Snape severely sanctioned any in Slytherin to dare defy th Ferret Prince.

Thankfully Pansy had captured the attention of His Ferretness, otherwise Daphne or Tracey would have to fawn and simper over him. Degrading themselves and their Houses in the process. Never bother that they outranked the Ermine Lordling in all the social circles that counted outside of Hogwarts. Yet in school they were on the lowest rungs as they were not from any of the inbred families that bowed and scraped to the Dark Lord. For Blaise, it was just for his life coming from the womb of a widely rumored Black Widow and his mixed racial stock preempting his ancient pureblood status. Whereas Malfoy barely had right to lay claim to six generations and the gauche ancestry of the Nuevo-riche. Not counting that Snape was of even sketchier heritage than the Weasleys as the Prince House was hardly even halfblooded in its history. Quality and truth made little difference to the doddering old headmaster it seemed.

Still Draco thought his pair of inbred throwbacks needed suitable girlfriends. As he was courting Pansy, would it not be natural the girl's friends would salivate to take up with his chosen lieutenants? Funnily the answer would've been a no, except for Snape's looming batness over shadowing all that went on their House.

What saved them this night was Pansy's saying the worst possible faux pas in Draco's delusional world. "Potter is looking dishier."

Of course she only said this to Millicent, but the ever sharp eared Snape had amazingly heard it from the other side of the room as well. Thus making it a double sin in the vaunted House of Slytherin. Her's and their "punishment" was banishment from the Great Hall and the dreadfully dull Yule Ball.

Unknown to the Bat and Ferret was these three's relief. Daphne's unwanted date, Crabbe, smelt of rotten cheese and thought it great fun to have her feed him by mouth like a mother bird. She made certain he ate a large number of long sausages and pasties. Tracey's oaf, Goyle, preferred to have her sit on his overly sweaty lap. That was when he was not needing to scratch his bits, then sniff the results as if his hand was bathed in rose water.

Now free of their captors, they wandered the festive halls fully planning on avoiding their House all night. Ironically they caught sight of their unwitting benefactor Potter with his friends acting all stealthy and secretive.

"Oooh, lets make it a game! We'll see if we can catch them but not let them know its us." Blaise offered cheerfully, "We'll scare them and force them to make a run for it."

"Do we have to scare them? Why not let Daphne confess her stalking Potter all these years. He might toss Granger over and ravish our friend like she's dreamed of forever." Tracey teased impishly with a saucy wink.

"I don't stalk him. I collect articles and pictures is all." she frostily sniffed with a lofty glare for her treacherous cousin.

"Riiight, like she said, stalker." Blaise joined in on her impudent cousin's side as always. "But whatever we decide to do, it will be the coup of the century. The Weasle Twinks and Potter are said to be past masters of Hogwarts on par or better than Filch and his furball."

Pouting for a moment but then thinking of actually catching the boy of her dreams, and successfully wowing him made her blush. They never could be a couple with the giant ball of grease and his golden toerag in control of Slytherin, but a witch had a right to dream. "Fine, but if either of you mention my scrapbook, you die in your sleep."

"Wards remember." Tracey stuck her tongue out tauntingly, "We all use them after that creepy rat last year. I think Millicent still carries that beater bat too. I might borrow it."

Shuddering, Daphne's mind did remember that rat she found _sniffing_ around her knickers in her trunk. If not for Millicent's cat attacking the thing Daphne might still be screaming. Ever since, she's had nightmares of rats turning into men who drooled over her in her sleep. It got so bad that her father had bought five tabbies to guard her and her sister Astoria.

"Ladies lets not lose them now. Personally I'm wanting to rub it into Draco's face that I bested Potter when he could not." Blaise chuckled evilly. After all their years at Hogwarts, the Malfoy scion still refused to treat her dear friend as anything resembling human. Anything more was only from hoping for the world.

"Here take this." Blaise held out some gaily wrapped candies, explaining cryptically, "They're maturity nougats."

"Why and where did you get them?" She warily eyed the novelty treats.

"Our voices will age up, as to the other I swiped them. Snape had confiscated them from Higgs' attempt to enter the tournament." Blaise's smugness at pulling that off successfully would have earned a pair of eye rolls other times, however now it sounded brilliant.

Snatching up one with a greedy grin, she choked and coughed till it settled in. When she tried to speak she sounded like her mother. Firm and gentle, a voice Daphne hoped to have when her own children would one day wander the halls of Hogwarts.

Talking freely they trailed the gang of Gryffindors. At first the ruse wasn't having an affect on them till Filch's cat appeared. That put the fear into the Kittens, causing them to rush away. Hiding around a corner, the Slytherins saw Potter's band scurry past a bit pale and determined. A noise distracted the feline of dread and gloom allowing Daphne's group to resume their long running prank. To which she enjoyed at her free sneak peeks of her Harry. He was a dish she wanted to be the kitten lapping him up.

Coming to a halt and dashing into a nook when the Lions stopped to observe a tiny blond waif up ahead the Snakes tried to suppress their mirth. For her part Daphne bit her lip as she discreetly gazed with longing while her crush scooped up the minuscule witch like a wife. It wasn't fair that they could never get together.

"Bugger! I told you they knew the castle inside and out. Look at that! How did they know of that exit?" Blaise laughed approvingly at their quarry slipping into a secret passage way. "Brilliant is what."

"So are you luv." Tracey batted her eyes at him.

Snorting Blaise led them closer, "Not hardly."

Though the two witches may have argued the point it was then that Daphne heard the sounds of others. They were close and getting closer, "Uh... we have a problem."

Turning to her they pulled up short on their pursuit of the Kittens. Down the hallway was a group of scarily graceful wizards prowling their way. Behind these predatory men were nine women that strode with the confidence of queens gliding through a court. With the entire lot bundled up in snow covered fur trimmed cloaks she could not make out any faces. Yet the lot terrified her beyond anything she could ever put into words.

"Lets get in with Potter." Tracey squeaked worriedly, "Kittens are noble gits, but still noble."

Blaise took their hands and dragged them along, his face almost as pale as their's were naturally, "Best we can do."

Struggling to keep up in her trendy high heeled thigh high boots, Daphne nearly fell twice. Tracey's knee highs were nearly as bad with their ankle sweeping fringed trim. So much for fashion over function, but they were going to make dazzling corpses. She just knew it.

They were saved in a way by the cackling arrival of the Peeves, well him and the angry Filch chasing the ink pot hurling poltergeist. When the terrible rivals for worst Hogwarts denizen appeared in the hallway, the scary strangers melted into the shadows. That gave Blaise time to pull back the alluring if odd tapestry the Gryffindors shot behind. Noting its distinct Slytheriness, Daphne hoped to one day examen it further later. For now she just wanted to hide.

Tracey tried the door only to be rebuffed, "Oh bugger us."

Daphne tried it next and received the same results. Panic was reaching a whole new level in the trio. Dead because of a misspoken word of a daft dimbo and a prank gone horribly wrong was to be their fate. Maybe snogging the loathsome smelly Crabbe wouldn't have been so bad?

Well on second thought, yes it most assuredly would, but she hated the dilemma here. Death by unendurable humiliation or strange scary men, not a great set of choices that.

Blaise pushed them aside in a fantastic shove. "Bloody hell, let me have a go." He the slammed his shoulder into it, yelping out in pain. "BUGGER that hurts."

But yet again for all his pain and trouble nothing happened.

"I have an idea." Tracey blurted out, "Back away though, luv."

Skipping to the side, their less than brawny mate rubbed his shoulder. Tracey drew her wand and taking careful aim with a deep steadying breath, cast, "Aelotion Contradico!"

Her cousin's spell blew the door in with a boy grunting in surprise, "Bugger me sideways!"

Inside they saw Longbottom go stumbling forward into a melting wall. Their one time quarry all turned to see them with wands out, save the falling Longbottom and Daphne's Potter whom still bore the blissfully smiling blond witch.

Not wasting time, the three Snakes dove in and re-slammed shut the door. Hexing from some startled Kittens was better than probable death at the hands of unknown strangers. You have to pay for some poor choices in life. Just how much is up for negotiations though.

Meanwhile Longbottom had stumbled into a room with strange markings and numerous carvings of things both well crafted and utterly terrible to behold. He was silently screaming as he had stood face to face with some fanciful sculpture of a beast man straight out of some poor child's nightmares.

"Filch- strangers- coming!" Tracey spluttered out incoherently. "GO!"

That got them all a charging through to the next room to join the petrified blond wizard. Potter made them all get in before he skipped over the now reforming wall. Daphne's heart wanted to swoon and scream at that. Potter was truly a fine Gryffindor, noble to the point of pure insanity. A fact she wouldn't change in her crush for nothing. Well except for it being her that he so gallantly carried in his arms.

Merlin he made her heart flutter.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I am not J. or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Three: Beginning to See True

With Harry's dramatic leap to join them, the room sealed itself shut leaving them in impenetrable darkness. Carrying with this blackness came the first flutters of unreasonable panic settling into the heart of Hermione. Desperation to see and escape caused her to be a bit dramatic herself in her spell work. Though admittedly they were able to see again.

"Lumos Solem!" she cried out in a near shriek, and thus she successfully banished all shadows with in this odd funny feeling room they found themselves in.

Shielding and blinking their sorely put eyes, her awkward assortment of companions squawked in irritation. Well except Neville whom was cowering away from a statue of a bat winged man with an overly sensual face and outstretched clawed boney hands, and the seemingly still slumbering Luna.

"Bugger it all Granger, panic much?" growled the dark skinned Slytherin wizard.

"He's got a point Hermione. Can we tone it down a bit please." added a squinting Parvati with her arm up to help block a fraction of the intense light. "Its burning into the back of my skull."

Sheepishly, Hermione reduced the severity of her light spell. Now it just looked like a sunlight bathed room during mid-day rather than the surface of the sun itself. With this reprieve the group of inadvertent explorers rested against walls and the horrible statue. Many were breathing hard from their flight, especially the unwelcome Slytherin trio. Those three were looking a bit wild eyed at the stone wall that had reformed behind Harry. On this side it bore the carving of a snake eating its tail. In the center of this was an inscription once more in that language unknown to her.

"What were you lot up to?" Alicia accused their additional serpentine members.

Parvati snapped off, "It's obvious they were following us for Snape and Draco. Bet the lot are just itching to run off and turn us in for some reason or other."

"Would it make all that much difference if we said no?" the silky black tressed witch with the haughtily pretty face and build inquired in a voice much too old for her.

Fred and George made a pair of indelicate snorts. "Figures."

"What?" demanded Fred's date Angelina venomously. "Are we missing something?"

"Yes my luv." Fred chuckled in self derision.

"And no my dear brother's luv." George too chuckled in mirthful self reproach.

"Care to enlighten us or should I start hexing?" Ginny waspishly ordered waving her wand menacingly, "I won't keep it friendly like mum would wish either."

That earned the youngest Weasley a pair of matching Cheshire Smiles. Harry spoke up through, "Hush I hear people."

Silencing immediately they listened to the voices. The language was fluid and had a musical quality to it. If forced to call it something Hermione would remark it was similar to Latin and Gaelic with a touch of Asian accents. She thought it was rather beautiful. Only it clearly marked these speakers as not a group native to England, or anywhere she knew for that matter. Giving rise to her panicky fear once more.

Laughter could be heard, as if relieved about something. A general celebratory feel could be discerned, followed by a shocking cheer of, "To Hogwarts!" Then the door was heard to open and booted feet clumped away, with some stifled laughter and shushing noises. Needless to say Hermione was gobsmacked.

"We have to warn someone." the other Slytherin girl trembled out.

"Easier said than done." Padma countered, "The wall has reformed."

"Well unform it then!" the wizard commanded, "That lot looked scary. I've seen killers in my life and those blokes were nothing but."

Harry, whom had turned a cute shade of red and was still holding the nuzzling little witch they found, spoke up, "Everyone look for that wonky yin-yang. We might get lucky twice. And could someone help me warm our little friend here up?"

The far too pretty Slytherin and Ginny rushed to his aid. A small tug in Hermione's heart occurred again with thinking of him. Funny how a girl can miss how sweet a boy can be now and then. Ever since fighting to save Sirius last term, Hermione had began struggling with her bourgeoning attractions for both Harry and Ron. The latter had been her crush since second year when he stood up for her against Draco, however he never seemed to give a care for her outside of copying her class work. The former though acted oblivious to any girl at all till his sudden interest in Cho "The Flirty Seeker" Chang. Now Hermione's best friend looked to be very interested in girls, and she was having trouble adjusting to this new reality. She pondered her long dormant feelings for him while the two witches tried to free poor Harry.

"No!" Lovegood cried pitifully while clinging tighter to Harry, "I won't lose you now. They can't take me from you. Never! Not even if they drag me to Shayol Ghul itself!"

The girls harsh scream made everyone jump in shock. As for Lovegood she woke up to blearily look about. Yawning she smiled sweetly, "Oh my. Was I sleepwalking again? Did I wander far this time, I don't recognize this room."

"Uh... No you were still in Hogwarts this time." Padma spluttered out, 'Were you dreaming? You started yelling"

"I might have been. I remember a beautiful tower. Hello Ginny, was the Yule Ball fun? You do look so pretty in your robes. I wish someone would have asked me, I heard they had a band from the wireless." Lovegood rambled on staring around in a dreamy voiced fog. Then the tiny thing saw where she sat, "OH! Your Harry Potter. Did you know you have lovely eyes?"

That had Harry turn an even brighter shade of red. "Thanks I think. Care if we try to get you a bit more dressed? You're turning blue."

"Not at all. I feel rather warm here thank you." replied the girl. This caused many of the witches to make indelicate noises, including Hermione to her own astonishment.

Angelina and Alicia just laughed at that with the other Slytherin witch sniggered, "Can't fault a girl for hanging on to what she likes. Right Daphne?"

The pretty Slytherin gave her friend a death glare.

Fred and George changed the growing dangerous topic. "We found one Harry."

"But it's not on that wall." George continued to add.

"Could be getting bad this." Fred sighed mournfully.

"I think it already is brother mine." replied the first.

Harry, glowing like a large red Christmas light, squeaked out, "Where is it?"

"On the floor." George waved downwards.

"Under your feet." Fred added.

Looking down Hermione cursed herself for getting distracted. Below her best mate was a large yin-yang with an inscription encircling it. Looking closer Hermione saw the writing was replacing the scales of another snake devouring itself. Everyone stood and came over to look, though Neville kept a safe distance from the gruesome statue. It was in Latin.

Both Harry and Lovegood began trying to decipher it, with the girl doing the best job of it, "Stand and face the truth of our life my true heirs. Hand in hand march down the Serpent's Maw and be witnesses to the terrible truths we have denied."

"Harry put me down beside you. I think we're to see something together." Lovegood suggested, "Afterward I won't mind you carrying me again." Hope was a distinct ringing note in the last. "I am quite comfortable."

"Luna!" Ginny glared meaningfully.

Alicia barked over any further arguing. "Enough, lets just all back away from things in here. Just in case."

"I have an idea, why don't us girls stand on this side. It's white marble so its like that white side Ginny touched earlier." Angelina added logically. "I think it's big enough."

Neville hesitantly whispered, "We'll stand on th-thi-this bla-black side, right?"

"Sounds dodgy but I'm game if it gets us out. That statue is creeping me out." their male Slytherin guest shivered, "I'll have nightmares for weeks after being near that thing, any longer I'll be around the twist."

"Wait, just running headlong into things got us here in the first place." Padma reasoned before everyone went along with that plan.

Finding herself agreeing with that Hermione spoke up. "What if it only makes this worse? We simply can't keep dashing about with out a plan."

"Hermoine, we're stuck in a room none of us know, it's freezing, and we have to tell someone about those strangers. How much worse could it get? We don't have any other options from what I can see." her best friend pointed out. "And lets get Luna here a pair of socks at least so her feet don't freeze. We can use mine if someone'll help me."

Slightly disheartened, Luna softly sighed, "I really don't mind being carried for a change."

"Yep, she knows what she likes. Blaise my luv, will you carry me." the snarky Slytherin witch giggled with a saucy grin for the dark skinned wizard.

"Blast it all, I was going to ask you to carry me Tracey. Alas my poor back gets in the way." he overly dramatized his rubbing of his long slender back. The girl stuck out her tongue at him in response to his corny acting.

Hermione noted the other witch was mirroring the look Ginny had. Both bore unvarnished looks of longing for her dear best friend. A silly little voice in the back of her own head teased her with a cackled, "Only if you too were shoeless and in distress."

Squashing that she joined Parvati and Neville in retrieving Harry's socks. They were a rather garish mismatched pair, but would free up the boy's arms and allow Luna to stand for a change. If Hermione had not been in a pair of stylishly blue coloured pantyhose for the Yule Ball, she would have gladly volunteered her own socks to relieve him of his burden.

Once the little sleepwalker was proudly wearing Harry's warmer footwear, the group got into position. Careful to not stand anywhere but their chosen halves, Hermione and the other girls found it an uncomfortably tight fit. All nine wished for the wider inch or two of space the boys had by dent of fewer numbers.

A rumbling accompanied the far wall growing a huge snakes face that caused Ginny, Harry, and herself to shudder in its resemblance to another large serpent. A hissing voice boomed into their small stone enclosure, causing both Harry and the overly pretty Slytherin to gasp in alarm.

Together they hissed in reply. Everyone else except Luna goggled them in amazement.

Whatever was said the face opened its maw to reveal a deep, down sloping hallway with crystal arches that resembled ribs. Neville near screamed when the gruesome statue turned to them as if alive and real.

"Enter and witness truth, but beware that once seen life will never be the same hence forth. Fools, simpletons, and cretins take heed, once following this path there is nowhere to turn but ever onward. Learn not the lessons within and never be seen again." it rasped in a threatening cackle that sounded like nails on a chalkboard.

Swallowing a lump, Harry glanced at everyone, "Well are any of us those last three?"

"I hope not." the boy called Blaise trembled.

"What the bloody hell was that Daphne?" Tracey accused the other Slytherin witch. "You never told us you were a Parselmouth. We could have unseated Draco if you had."

Horrified Daphne blurted out, "My father was afraid I'd be taken as a wife by some inbred monkey of a Deathie is why. Please don't say anything, I didn't know I was speaking it."

"It happens. Join the club, I'm still waiting on enough of us to order tee shirts at a discount." Harry began cracking up, "Daphne your secrets safe. We'll just blame it all on me."

A warm glowing smile full of hope blossomed on the snake speaking witch, giving Hermione a twitch in her heart again. Harry was just a nice friend who had no interest in her. Ron was who she liked and liked her. She silently chided herself for being a silly goose, but could not think why that was what she thought. Ron was never pleasant to her, and as they got older it grew only worse.

Neville whimpered, "What did it say?"

"What?" Harry asked in confused reply, then chuckled loudly, "Do you wish to see the truth? Speak it and enter my true heirs and do not be overly critical of me in my chamber of most secret studies."

That rightfully drew gasps from most of them.

"Harry it simply can't be. You've already been to the Chamber of Secrets." Hermione blurted out with a hand over her mouth, "Ginny do you remember being here?"

Pale as a ghost, the red head witch whimpered, "I don't think so."

"You mean the Chamber of Secrets is real?" Daphne nearly stammered.

Harry stepped off his side and took Ginny into a hug, "It is real. I saved Ginny from Voldemort and a basalysk down there. Do you suppose this is another entrance?"

"Well if it is we could get out the other way if we're lucky. Like as not scare Myrtle though." Hermione decided. "That's what that last part most likely meant about fools and some such. A ruddy great snake could do that, but it's dead so we're in no danger I wager."

Besides Harry and Ginny, the rest of them were far from being in agreement. Not even Lovegood looked that thrilled at first. Quietly she asked, "What if this is the true Chamber and the other a trap. It would make sense why no one will tell us why no ones found or returned from it before. If it is, do you suppose this one will tell us why Slytherin vanished, and what truths has he held secreted away in here."

"She is a Ravenclaw." Padma chuckled nervously. "And as we've said before, we don't have many options. I just hope there isn't something worse than a basalysk down there."

Neville moaned in terror, as did Parvati. However Harry strode for the Maw, "In for a knut, in for a galleon. Listen, I'll go first. That way you all can see what happens to me and make up your minds, at least then you will know what to expect."

That had her hackles up to even contemplate.

"Nothing doing mate." George joined him.

A step behind, Fred laughed, "This is a place we've never been in Hogwarts."

"We take offense at..."

"... being left behind."

Blaise smirked, "I doubt any of you ever walked about in Slytherin."

The three of them laughed, with Harry grinning smugly, "I tricked Draco into letting me in. He was quite accommodating about it all."

Fred clapped Harry on the back, "Good one! We put ever itch powder in Flint's skivies."

"Don't forget when Alyssa Runcorn snuck us in too." George roared. "That was- Oh Bugger us!"

Their dates frostily stared at the pair of ne'er-do-wells.

"Do continue." Angelina icily suggested.

"We're dying to hear." Alicia's tone was just as cool.

The Slytherin boy turned to Tracey, "I told you they are good."

"Yes luv. I heard." she sniffed, "Alyssa is just a- a- a tart."

There had to be a story in there somewhere.

Ginny cut in, "We all go, or no one goes."

Hermione had to agree. "The opening is pretty wide. I think we should try it."

Ever the noble git, Harry's face clouded up, but Luna silently padded up and took his hand, "This will be great fun. Maybe Salazaar Slytherin has a Crumple Horned Snorcack down there. Daddy will be so pleased. By the way Harry, thank you for the socks I'll cherish them forever. Shall we?"

She pulled Harry along with her towards the entry. Everyone rushed to join either in fear of being left alone as Hermione felt sharply. She could not let go of Harry, even if she still wanted Ron on some levels. Bunched together they entered more or less at the same time.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Work gangs fought with the massive loads of stones from the bygone ancient fortress that once stood in dominance over all the chilly mountain valley. Cliodhna had never liked the once mighty ghost. It carried a chill over the whole of this rich vale. Humans were meant to dominate the world, not the lost Ancients, who or whatever they had been.

Most agreed they had been utterly evil, and created the ruin of the modern world by use of twisted forms of magic. That sounded preposterous to the witch as she was more of a mind to lay the blame purely with men being men. Although she had to confess that the ruins they left here had an unholy chill to them.

Shivering she worked the stew pots for the wizards that strove to do as the mighty four lords and ladies had ordered. Supposedly they sought to build a place that all of wizardingkind could attend and learn from. A waste of time in her opinion as she knew a fairly large number of spells and helpful tonics, enough to make do with. She had learned as everyone had, from either a mentor or their parents. In her case her own mum, just as her two daughters had from herself. Women were just superior to men in magic by her estimation.

Men usually did well enough, but most of their works were for building or killing, and all learned best from another wizard. Fools mostly seeing how building was their lone worth while contribution to life. If one wanted to kill another, best to just stick a knife in him or whack the blighter up side the head with a heavy object. Dead's dead, why get fancy with it?

An excited murmur ran through the men, causing her to smirk. Men on the whole were a simple minded bunch so it took very little to make them excitable. Probably found a nice shiny batch of rocks or some such rot. Exactly like the time they found that circle of stones that the great Lady Rowena surmised was for rituals of some sort. If not for her and the Dame Helga no work would ever get done in this fools errand.

"Bloody rocks for brains is what men have I say, Logred." she commented to her friend who smirked in knowing agreement. Others nodded as well as they stoked the cook fires under the roasting goats and boiling pots.

Usually sturdy old Bevel ran past crying out, "Lord Godric! Archmagus Salazaar! We found one of them stones you tol' us ter watch fer. Merlin preserve us if demons don' be a guardin' it."

Cliodhna's heart froze in her chest. It was a known fact Ancients used demons for everything. "We're doomed! Heaven's preserve us!" She screamed and made to run for her life.

"Silence fool woman!" roared the warrior prince Godric as he drew out his famed sword Lion's Fang. "Goodman Bevel lead the way. Sal are you coming? This may prove fine sport."

A serpentine smile spread across the gaunt dark face of the Archmage that failed to warm those whom viewed it, "But of course Godric. I've been hoping for this."

"You would of course. I must admit I've itched to test my blade and power against one of these other worlders of the Ancient's." heartily laughed the massive lord. Her heart swooned for the great man's presence. If she were younger she'd have thought of letting him flip her skirts for some lively fun.

Men rushed past, all but the cold eyed Archmagus Slytherin who muttered excitedly, "Finally proof. Master Crassius I may well have found what you swore to have discovered. We will be proven correct at last."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hermione shivered from the chill creeping through her at witnessing the founding of Hogwarts. She had just seen more or less first hand the Four Founders and all the massive work put into the construction of her ancient school. But who were these demons and these Ancients? She simply had to know more.

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Marelake was sitting and weaving her marriage bed's mat like a good witch. First bloods held potent magics for a young woman, especially for a witch. She was nine, thus still a few years off from that time in her life. But a proper young witch was a prepared young witch. Off to the side of her was the wood her mother had prayed to the nearby bowtruckle clan for wands to be crafted from. Wands for Marelake and her older sister Rhilla, the latter of whom was having her hair braided as a witch of age.

"I wish I was eleven." Marelake let slip in a disconsolate sigh.

"It will happen cousin." Helga- Marelake's far traveling and adventurous older cousin- chided consolingly, "Don't steal this from Rhilla. You know she won't be staying in the village long. Her husband, Lord Crassius has paid a healthy bride price for her hand. Her binding will only be a fortnight from now."

Marelake felt compelled to ask, "But who will train her in magic? Mother has promised to teach me, but Rhilla has never held a wand yet. It's just not right."

"I will be teaching her dear one, but her not holding a wand before is one of the reasons Crassius has bought her. That and he fears leaving the Parson Line heirless. You'll likely be an aunt very soon. Would you like that my sweet Mare?" Helga informed with a touch of her hand.

Blushing and bobbing her head, she hugged Helga tight, "I'd like that very much."

The door swung open to reveal Helga's own lovely betrothed, Godric the Gryffen of Dore. His startling rugged handsomeness made Marelake sigh in longing, "Good tidings my love and all you fair ladies herein. I bring glad tidings to all, the war is over. Arthur's forces have victored over his son's. Goodman Weasley has called for our sleepy village to raise a toast to Avalon, and I whole heartedly agree."

Helga hopped up and rushed into the burly man's arms. Their kiss made Marelake's world glow in a brilliant golden light. She could almost feel the power of Helga's love for her lion maned man.

All was right in the world she felt till the voice of a man wailed from outside the door. His words put out the light and chilled the tiny witch's heart, "Arthur is dead! Dear heavens rain mercy on us, the High King is dead!"

An involuntary wail erupted from her and her mother. For a displaced Rus family in Britannia, this was grievous news. Godric though did not yield to despair as he growled powerfully, "Helga, run and get me Lion's Fang, I fear I have to begin the charm to bind this Hollow to me."

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Hermione could not understand what that was felt during that kiss, it was marvelous.

"Poor Marelake." she sighed, "Poor little Rhilla! What a cad to marry a girl so young."

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Cold winds howled as the Roman Legionnaires made ready to disembark. Rhoda secretly wished the whole lot of them would fall in the water and drown. As a slave witch she would not be allowed to ever let that happen considering how her bond maester had a tight, cruel hold on her. If there was a way to break his hold, she would gladly do it and burn every rotten Roman alive. They had enslaved her for near on forty years, though as her kind were not given to aging as the ungifted she still looked a maiden in her early bloom outside her graying hair.

At that moment a man and thirteen women rode out of the forested hills near this would be beach head. Bravely facing this expeditionary force to lay the ground work for the wicked scrawny little Julius Caesar, "Scourge of the Gauls". Rhoda would have pitied these foolish souls save she felt the women's power. Some in her people had that much power, but most were given over to the lesser arts of ritual and incantation.

"Mangy Greek witch do as you're trained! KILL!" spat her hated maester.

Raising her focus reluctantly she gathered her soul's will and let Gaea's power overflow in her. It wouldn't be enough with the sacred number facing her. Only a heathen pig like her maester would dream such a command possible.

Weaving the invisible strands of nature with her wooden focus enriched with a phoenix feather plume, Rhoda tried to cast. Naturally it wasn't enough. Her foes were as the Honoured Ancients. They were of the divine blood and all she could do was laugh hysterically while they cut her off from Gaea's blessings with ease. Her fat slovenly maester could not even hold enough of Apollo's Blood to stand long against an unbound Rhoda, so he was of no help here. Blessedly he died gruesomely beside his fellow Romans.

As for her, they left her on the beach cackling madly. She was a free witch! This was a land of abundant magic. This Britannia would be her home from now on. Maybe she would have a daughter and raise her right. Raise her to be a scourge of the Romans.

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Hermione's stomach was roiling in rebellion. Throwing up everything she had ate that day was all too possible she feared. Rhoda had a right to be happy. Her foul maester's presence was inside her skull. Buried deep in her mind like a malignant tumor.

But then there was the power.

She had truly felt the pulse of life. Hermione had never experienced the like before when casting a spell. Hers was skill and training, not an extension of the flow to the living world. It had left a hungry need in her to feel that again.

Between flashes of these snap shots of lives, she saw the others were growing alarmed, but also as hungry for more as she felt. To witness what that statue said, the Truth.

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Gazing down upon her self made and crafted wedding dress, Idesia inhaled the fragrance of her bouquet of lovely spring flowers. A wonder in the coldness of this particularly harsh winter, but she felt it worth it. Channeling into the bright flowers, she amplified their joyous scents for the nuptials. Chosen carefully, these specific blossoms would impart a general sense of peace and well-being. Things she needed for her coming bonding.

"Are you ready my darling child?" her ancient grandmother beamed down upon her. At nearly two hundred and more, the woman had raised many a girl like Idesia, but they shared a deeper relationship than the rest.

They were both as powerful as the Ancients, not many born these days were even able to work the Five-From-Two without extensive study and aid. Idesia was said to have enough to take her still youthful looking grand dames place as Weather Caller of their clan.

"I am. Bonding with Linley will be more than we could hope he's a true Battle Master and maybe our children will return our kind to this world." she smiled, "Besides that he's a girl's dream come true. I love him Grana."

"That is good. Love is a blessing in a true bonding. Remember to be open to his Circle. Maben is a good woman, as is little Tilda of the Eire. Gracious be, four full and true Servants in a family." the old woman wept proudly, "And my tiny Idesia as the jewel. Blessings of the Weaver dear child."

The door opened and in stepped Idesia's older cousin, Dore holding tight her newly carved focus stick. "I've come to bring you to him. Oh Idesia, he is so handsome. Will you allow me to summon the Wind to lift your veil?"

"Of course. Are you more comfortable with a wood focii then?" she inquired politely.

"It's better than incanting alone. Did you hear old Durward is attempting to teach his daughter instead of fostering her out." the girl gossiped, what she said was a scandal. Only women could bring out the Five-From-Two in a woman!

"Fool man has brains of an otter." spat her Grana. "Now girls we have a bonding to perform. Shall we?"

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That last left Hermione confused. They wanted a bonding? But then again it was supposedly one of love and meant more. But how? It sounded more like a harem than a loving marriage to her mind.

However she truly felt the power or Five-From-Two. It was sweet, gentle, and infused her with a deep longing. Plus the girl had cast a spell without aid of a wand unlike her poor lesser cousin. Could Hermione ever learn how, or was she a lesser too?


	5. Chapter 5

**Harry Potter and the Pattern of Fate Book 1**

By:

Sadsack77

Book 1 The Serpent's Truth: Truth about one founder is not what is taught. Did he see more and be more than taught? Harry and Co. are about to find out that the universe and magic is not what they've learned. Will they survive? Can they grow and return in time to save the school, world, and all they love? pro OOC Ginny(non-fanon or canon) Harry/Multi read AN for more warnings.

Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance/Adventure - Chapters: 28 - Words: 204,718 - Reviews: 65 \- Favs: 70 - Follows: 88 - Updated: Sep 15, 2015 - Published: Jun 10, 2015 - id: 11305290

\+ - Full 3/4 1/2 Expand Tighten

Prev 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 19. Chapter 19 20. Chapter 20 21. Chapter 21 22. Chapter 22 23. Chapter 23 24. Chapter 24 25. Chapter 25 26. Chapter 26 27. Chapter 27 28. Chapter 28 Next

Disclaimer: I am not J. or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

 **Chapter Four: Pains of Truth**

Deeper in they marched as a bunch of awe struck wizarding kids. What he had seen thus far had made Neville wonder at why everything seemed to indicate what he knew was paltry and a shadow. Plus he had found himself entranced by the lives of these past souls and what they lived through.

In a moment between flashes he sees the look of agony on Harry. His best and maybe lone friend, had faced a lot already in life. What he must be seeing made him question why it had to be this way. That wizarding kind actively purged itself of its worth and power for petty selfish lives.

Also Neville glanced at his two long time crushes, Hermione and his childhood playmates the Patils. They were crying now. All of the witches were, and he yearned to reach out and comfort them with hugs.

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Running and boosting his stamina by drawing on his bondmate Ivurie's given strength, Nebo prayed he'd catch up to the slavers and rescue his children. His heir and lone son Klay was surely guarding his four sisters. All of them could be bonded soon, and Nebo would've failed.

After the fall of Callahairia in the north the Servants were being hunted down as breeding chattel for lessors. Others had laughed at him that focii users would ever best Servants but yet now the last bastion of their kind was gone from a horde of said Stick Shakers. A catastrophe that Nebo knew would only plunge the world further into darkness after the Breaking.

Leaping and drawing his cuendillar sword gifted to him by his Ancient father on his bonding day, Nebo swore to kill any sickly pathetic Stick Shakers. It was time to end any and all focii users. Only pure Servants should ever remain alive now. This was a battle of survival and for facing the day the Wheel ever returned to its course. Heart Stealer could not be allowed to win for the actions of a few timid lessors.

Coming down at a run he senses his wife's flickering life in the Bond. Ivurie was about to die. She had gave him everything so he may save their children. "I love you Ivy. You're going to return to the Pattern and will see our lovely children blossom."

Tears ran down his cheeks as he spoke the final benediction, "May the Weaver hold and cherish your thread and its bounteous colours. Till we are rewoven and rebound our love will shine. Till then our threads shall remain plaited by love and unity."

There was a gentle loving touch of his bond. Today he would bring glory to his Line.

Bounding high and over a massive boulder that the filthy Stick Shaking slavers rested behind. One was raping Nebo's eldest daughter, two others had a go with his now dead Ivurie. Others were just lazing about smug in their numbers. None had faced a full blooded and trained Battle Master. Few if any would be able to claim they had survived such.

First to go was the one on his daughter. Yanking him up by his manhood with Fire laced Air, Nebo tore him limb from limb while slamming six shields down on most of the others. The three he didn't have strength to do that to he opened up in a flurry of silvery flashes and great sprays of blood. One fool he had shielded dared lift his thin raw cut stick. Sadly for the vile cretin was no focii could overcome a shield.

"I have a better use for that Stick Shaker!" Nebo sneered in his bond loss rage. The fool didn't enjoy finding that stick sheathed in it's new home, but couldn't gripe long as his throat was ripped open by a lash of Fire.

They all died. He made certain of it, as he made doubly certain they did not go peacefully but in horror as his Ivurie had. Even halting one blighters attempt at a suicide to do it.

When it was done he sank to his knees beside his beloved, and to his horror the violated corpse of his only son. But it didn't matter now, his daughters would yet live and Nebo had nearly burnt himself out in the carnage.

Bond Loss Madness was creeping in as he wept, "Go my beautiful girls. Go."

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Neville was speechless at the sheer power he'd witnessed just then. It was incomprehensible what all had been done there. He'd heard that Dumbledore and You-Know-Who could keep four or five spells running at a time, but this Nebo chap had at one point used eleven and effectively butchered nine wizards in the span of minutes.

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Dancing happily by the great Black Lake, Halarab mal' Tethic felt joyfully free. Few Servants had ever been honoured to be given the rank of Building Master. Most men chose to pick up the Blade, especially with the uneducated focii users threatening. Why those sort hated Servants Halarab never would be able to fathom. It was not as if Servants refused to teach the lessors, but that was not enough. Indeed some postulated that jealousy ran rampant in that sort's ranks.

But that didn't matter a whit to Hal just then. No, his concern was his new rank at the modest age of forty seven. He was now the youngest Build Master in centuries. Plus it meant he could take on a second Bondmate. Teova, his first, was just as excited. They would be a true Servant Circle.

Laughing about this still he set to work building the new defensive perimeter around Callahaira al' Connatrath. Teova and her best and as yet unbonded friend joined him in the work. Their link was seamless and silkily smooth, good for performing ones duties and for the indicators that a match had been found. Khalahndra mec'Shurnit was a fine Servant and highly skilled, but also a beauty to rival his Teova.

Raising the walls in the link took little effort. Of all the Five, Earth suited him best, it was him. When the sun had began to hide its face from everyone, they were feeling winded but having put up a good twenty yards of the new wall was excellent. At over sixty three feet tall and forty nine feet wide, focii users would be hard pressed to break down this outpost city's outer walls.

"Hal we've decided. You are to be Khala's bondmate as well. Please prepare your heart for her." Teova smiled sweetly as sweat ran rivulets down her forehead while she draped her arm around Khalahndra's waist.

Bowing as duty require's he grinned with the joy him and Teova shared at this personal triumph, "As my bondmate wishes so will I abide in love and joy at the hearth you two allow me to bed down in."

The ceremony completed for this phase, they embrace as a single union. Their Linked Circle settles the bond over him and each other. Later before the holy Council of Eight he will apply his own bond over them in obedience to tradition.

A pageboy not yet thirteen and ready to swear the Servants oath, ran pell-mell to them. "Master Halarab! The Council of Eight has need of your expertise. One has been found while retrieving stones for the calender stones!"

Blood drained from the adults faces. Teova kissed him soundly, "Go my love. Me and Khala will be attending our classes. Mistress Karazdia was put out with my missing it last time."

Kissing her hungrily, and tentatively Khala, he barked at the pageboy, "Lead on my son. If your very good I show you a weave to clean away broken loose soil."

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Tender. That was the best word for the bond they shared. Meanwhile erecting that large of a stone wall in that length of time was a miracle. Yes, Neville had to know and experience more. Seeing the Valley of Hogwarts as it were before the Roman Empire existed was awesome, too bad the ruins are long gone.

A pair of hands took hold of his.

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... Gazing down upon the ground of their new home, Kreshium Sedai snorted. It would do for the needed farming, but what troubled him was the massive proliferation of Wilders. But with education offered freely and a just law code, these illiterate heathens could be raised up equal to any of the Lost Empire.

Trooping down to Kreshium and his band was the chieftain of this stretch of fertile if rocky ground. A ripple of concerned worry lined the portly fellow's florid face, something mirrored in the other warrior's faces. A problem not in the Aes Sedai's case. All of them kept cool. Calm serenity was expected of the Servants of All, and it bled down into the ranks of their non-gifted elements as well.

Diatrias Sedai, the leader of Kreshium's High Circle, was smiling warmly on the man and his forces. Though heathens such as he could never grasp this fact. To the porcine man she must appear like a barely pleased queen. Emotions were controllable but that was outside of the keen of the emotion driven Wilder's understanding.

"We are honoured that your people have allowed us the use of this valley. May our peoples be united and hold strong against this world's fall into darkness." she intoned gently, still glowing with pleasure in Kreshium's opinion. The woman's Wilder counter part was put off with it though.

Fear could be seen in the fellow's wide face, though he had the numbers the Servants were holding the One Power and linked in seven High Circles of thirty two apiece plus a contingent of well trained Asha'man and another six hundred disciplined footmen. Compared to eight hundred unskilled individual Wilders plus their three thousand skirmishers milling about, whom could be swept aside swiftly in brutal efficiency.

Trembling violently the man bows and waved behind him, "To seal this pact I have selected thirteen of our finest witches to wed one of your highest Servants. May their offspring be a joy to both of our kinds, Ancients and humans."

Kreshium struggled not to snort at that misconception all Wilder's held as the divine truth. Servants were just as human as he was. Some of the less mentally adroit of the Servants sought to encourage that, but he feared the repercussions of such a move. A common unity would rebuild the Lost Empire sooner than the Way of the Whip.

His High Circle's leader smiled even brighter at the thirteen terrified slips for girls. Most of them, Kreshium noted sadly, were barely into their blossoming. A sad state to be in with a bonding to occur. They would be expected to be equal to whatever man Diatrias Sedai chose for them. He prayed the man selected would keep that in mind and be gentle with them.

These thoughts reminded him of his deceased wife. How she was the only woman for him. Their eighty nine years together had been an amazing time for him though he wept bitterly at the loss of her and how she had gave him to Diatrias to save him from the Bond Loss. Her death by the poisoning of the Fall burned his soul. As did the denial to join her in death.

"Kreshium Sedai, come forth and claim your wives. Love and cherish them, it has been near seventy years since Enaylin's untimely demise. A young man like you will appreciate these lovely ladies more than most." Diatrias nearly giggled in her cleverness.

Silently he cursed not thinking of this. A young widower merely two hundred and thirty five marked him out. Only Ceandrum was younger by a decade or two.

"I do as bid. My life is theirs. My hand and mind shall forever guard them." he vowed automatically though he ached for his Enaylin to forgive him.

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Neville's mind was having trouble comprehending that. Dumbledore was rumored to be over a hundred years old, but that was considerably immature compared to Kreshium. Who could have thought that long a life was even possible? That and how sedately composed all of the Servants had been. Professor Binns would seem excitable in comparison to those witches and wizards.

He was glad that Parvati and that Slytherin Tracey were holding his hands for all of this. Alone he might not have the courage to go...

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... any further. He was exhausted beyond measure now. The Battle of Tofruque Bay had cost him and his men badly, but had successfully sent sail most of the young. They would live even if the Empire fell. That was important, even more than if he himself should survive.

And now standing the walls of Citadel Brasduun overlooking the Ivory Bridge, he wept. This three sided war between; the Dark One's forces led by the Betrayer Prince, the thrice cursed Dragon Reborn leading the Empress's forces as well as the filthy Dragon Sworn, and the Loyalists- whom Oasmar Sedai himself was a proud member of- would end the Empire and maybe the world. Loss of the Star of Civilization would destroy any chance humanity had of rebuilding after the Breaking.

"Sir!" one of his newly raised officers came rushing up to where he stood helping bolster the Eastern Gate. All souls were needed to face the Shadow's near endless horde. "The Dragon Sworn are assaulting the Betrayer's left flank and we have news of Morsdarn. "The Betrayer and Dragon do battle upon the Atlas Stone." What is your command sir?"

Cursing having to throw his lot in with those End Timer Zealots, but knowing that if he failed to do that, the Trollocs would be overwhelming his ragged band. The Council of Eight demanded he resist and give them time to finish the Chock. This Age may well end but the next would be of endless peace. No more Aethila'Sauron the Betrayer Prince or Corind the Dragon Reborn- ever.

"Send out Dreago's Asha'man backed up by fire lancers. Go Boy! Or do you dream of being a Trolloc's mid-day snack?" he barked at the eager but battle weary youth.

Turning back to the near endless black massed horde of Shadowspawn, he gritted his teeth, "Time to open the Gates of Dhoom."

Focusing his weave, he channeled a storm of Fire and Water to kill hundreds of the Dark One's forces with a burst of searing hot steam. Others tore open the Earth or poured a rain of hailstones down. Thousands were butchered, but that was only a light drop in that dark flood.

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Gagging at the scent of carnage just then Neville knew that what he'd witnessed could have nearly been the end of humanity. Hundreds of thousands of those evil looking monsters had covered the earth. If not for the skill and power of the defending humans, life would have ceased to exist at all.

Everyone's jaws were clenched in horror from what kept coming.

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Hraodian et'Vardeshk scrambled as he ran with his two best friends Corind Malwin and the High Prince Aethila. They were late and the Maesters would be very disappointed in the lot of them. He could almost hear it now, "Aes Sedai and Asha'man are to be impeccable with timing and composure. If we are not, the world will slide back into the darker days of the rightfully Forgotten Years."

If only the Wheel was not so accident prone.

It had to be the Wheel's fault they were late. How else could it be called as the trio of fourteen year old Acolytes were delayed by the Call of the Day? But Measter Corshram would likely not listen, and care even less that the worst possible news had just been announced.

"The Dark Seal was found in Toshdera'Toefreya! Unbelievable!" Aethila laughed with unnerving glee, "Of course that whole region is a hole. What say you, Corind? Is it a publicity stunt to get attention for those uncouth heathens?"

"Your Highness!" Hraodian whined piteously, "Such things are- are unspeakable!"

"Why Roady? Suppose it is the Dark Seal, then at least we know where Heart Stealer lives and can avoid it forever. But then we have an opportunity to learn the Ancient One's secrets. Just think of having machines that can fly like birds instead of float like the priestly balloons. Absolutely zero hunger among the Empire's peoples. And lets not forget the Power to change anything to how we'd prefer it." Aethila's eyes were glimmering with unbridled greed, "Power to create lasting peace and order across the globe."

"Or Power to destroy it all. Us first and foremost of that number." Corind, a dour soul on the whole, shook his head in disgust, "Not all knowledge is good to know. We're already on our way to a bright future. Lets not change things and go the way of the Ancient Ones."

Only Corind could get away with not giving proper address to the High Prince. His Power was already near twice any full raised Servant and the High Prince knew it. A rivalry existed among them, but Hroadian was not close to besting either. He had been tested to be higher than most any alive himself, but never could be their better.

"There you three are. All Acolytes are to attend the Grand Council. With the unfortunate news of the day, every Servant is required to swear loyalty oaths." the ancient Headmeaster Celtraford Sedai declared from the shadows of a side hall, "It would not do for my best to fail in this."

Aethila smirked, "But of course honoured one."

Their mentor's crystal blue eyes peered down on them with little of his famed patient good humor. "I appreciate that my son, but know that your attitude will not sit well with the Eight. Power in the One Power is not the same as power of a true and loving heart. Do not sour your soul and abilities with greed and malice. The same goes for you Corind. I sense your darkening heart. Just because the Eight has deemed the Outlanders as less human does not give you rights to look down on your elders."

"Fine honoured one, but do not be surprised if I do not choose to stay in the Empire's avaricious service." Corind stiffly bowed to their mentor with a tone that said he no longer revered the man, "Long white beards do not always carry wisdom, nor do years of isolated studies bestow insight into the greater mysteries."

Wincing, Hroadian bowed deeper than normal to avoid trouble. Aethila was grinning maliciously at the swipe at the Headmeaster's own extremely long white beard and scholastic life. But the man sighed sadly and shooed them on.

Once farther away and running for the Grand Council, Corind grumbled, "Not teaching our brethren in the Outlands will cost us. Mark me my friends."

"Oh come now. Why teach heathens when we live so long nothing could happen to our world." Aethila sneered sarcastically, "Remember Corind I will be on the Eight one day. We then can recreate our world to our desires.'

Shaking his head Hroadian panted, "I just don't want to be late and punished. Please lets just hurry. You two act like the Outlanders are human and the wise Eight are spoiled children."

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Neville fell out on to the others in a shaking and crying lump. He'd never be able to sleep easily or see the world the same way ever again. None of them were in great shape after all that. They had witnessed truths that were beyond imagination or comprehension. All of their History of Magic never told of this. Neither did their legends even speak of an inkling of this, or sprout a tiny bud of this in their collective conscious thoughts. It was the truth though, and the proof of that was a giant Trolloc held in suspended animation in a massive preservative bottle.

For the second time this night he was near to losing his sanity at the sight of something. However this was not a fanciful sculpture but a very real, if dead being. At close to ten feet tall, with shoulders that would dwarf Hagrid's, a half human half goat face, and hoofed feet; simply put it was a twisted monstrosity. The racked suit of armour and battle ax beside it were only adding to the horror of its reality.

"Bugger me sideways!" Blaise tried to crawl back up the hall, only there was a solid wall behind them, "Oh this is bad!"

"Those wankers! Humans are humans!" Angelina looked ready to throw up even more than she already had as she screamed, "How dare they? How dare they think otherwise!"

Curled up into a ball, Hermione cried, "Ask the Purebloods."

However Harry had stood and quietly reasoned out, "That is why Slytherin left this place. This is the true Chamber of Secrets. What monster would destroy all of the _muggleborns_ in the school than the truth that none of us are pure. He knew we were all wrong and we would not willingly see that, no matter our personal affiliations. Imagine a world where Voldemort was just a filthy Stick Shaker? Blimey we have to show all this to others. Slytherin wanted us to return to the Ancients' way of doing things."

Neville saw his indomitable friend tremble suddenly before sinking to his knees sobbing. "My parents died to fight just another step down this pit of lunacy. They died for a mistake made before even a single pureblood existed."

Padma moaned in reply as she crawled to her feet, "I think its more than that. All of it was much more than that. I can't even put it into words what we just saw."

The Slytherin witch Tracey babbled, "I- We need to tell- Oh bugger we're in for it!"

"Those strangers... they spoke similarly to those- What were they? Servants or some other rot. Those strangers maybe..." Ginny shuddered then hurled a second time. "We need to tell some professor or- or Dumbledore!"

Both Fred and George scrambled to look for a way out. Parvati, whom now clung to Neville, asked bitterly, "How would that destroy all the muggleborns? I don't understand."

"He meant that it would eliminate the title. No one is truly pure. People are either magical or not. Or gifted as they called it. What Salazaar Slytherin wished was to teach us all to be like the Ancients and not be silly Stick Shakers." Daphne spoke slowly but looked close to joining those that lost their Yule Ball feasts, "It wasn't purest of blood but purest of magic. It was all wrong. All of it."

Blaise had joined the Weasley Twins in a frantic search to escape. "We can be rid of Draco's Deathies for good. We have to get out and use this all."

Slowly Neville stood careful to not startle Parvati, "We won't find a way out unless we learn the truth. All of it. Look around us. We're in a magical laboratory and museum. A Trolloc there. Banners, weapons, armour, and clothes there. Maps, books, scrolls, and tablets there. This great ruddy pillar in the center. Potion lab by those pickled creatures. Drawings and diagrams everywhere. This was all a place of study. He wanted his heirs to learn what he'd discovered."

It had to be said it was too obvious now. "Fools, simpletons, and cretins would never be seen again." Neville added bleakly.

Harry nodded mutely and stood to investigate the Trolloc. Resting a hand on the glass, Neville's friend shook violently. Finally, while his hand clenched itself into a fist, he spoke grimly, "More than that. He wanted his heirs to do the rebuilding. Why else make it where it took a man and a woman at the very least to open this all?"

That struck them all a direct blow to their one time innocent worlds.

Fred hesitantly put in, "Neville's right."

"There is no clear exit and no more of those wonky symbols." George concurred.

Dabbing her eyes and standing up onto wobbly legs, Hermione marched over to the books naturally enough for her, "Well we best be at it. Those strangers did sound similar to those Ancients and if they are related somehow, we should be better prepared."

Luna crawled to her feet and nodded, "That would be best. I don't know of strangers but having those skills of the Ancients might turn out helpful one day."

"With what? Boiling an army alive?" Blaise shuddered.

"Perhaps if it was made up of that Trolloc's relation, but they did other things as well." she sniffed and went to join Hermione, "We never fully know what the future holds."

Ginny joined Harry, standing very close to the vacant eyed wizard in front of the pickled Shadowspawn. Eventually he put his arm across her shoulder, "This is what we should have found, but what was that other place?"

"A lie, like everything we've been taught." she sighed with a victorious sad smile, "But now we can destroy his whole sick ideals."

"True." Harry laid his head on the glass bottle.

Smiling in spite of himself, Neville hugged the crying Parvati, "Care to help me look through the Herbology stuff?"

Dumbly she nods and lets him lead her away. Careful to not just riffle through it all, the two tried to make heads or tails of any of it. They were failing miserably as it was all scrupulously written out in neat tiny handwriting, in at minimum seven different languages. Weirdly they could tell it was all from the same writer.

What made Neville laugh warily was the bottle of peaches clearly marked deathly poisonous by the international code of potioners and herbologists. A code developed some said by Helga Hufflepuff. Who would poison a bunch of peaches and keep them for study? Another set of pickled plants alarmed him. They were again non-magical but labeled as irrevocably cursed with fatal indicators. Where had Slytherin found all this stuff? What had he seen to go to the effort to study all this stuff?

"Neville...?" Parvati's voice wavered, breaking his concentration.

Looking up he saw her pointing to some of the notes. "This is the same language as that first inscription. While I know this is Arabic here. I can't read much, but it keeps referring to a blight. What else it indicates is frightening."

"Blight?" he asked rhetorically and glanced at the specimens. One, an elm of some sort, was covered in reddish black blisters at best guess and had full yellow and red spotted leaves. "That might be th-." he was cut off by Hermione and Padma charging into the strangely clear area encircling the stone pillar. Luna was sedately strolling behind a step or two.

"He was traveling. He was studying everything!" Hermione cheered.

"Brilliant. I think we could gather that much Granger." Tracey sneered from over by the heaps of carefully sorted and pressed clothes. "Me and Daphne think he went barmy or became a cross-dresser of sorts. Loads of these clothes are women's dresses and such. Some even Madam Maxime could probably wear if she had shoulders to match our marinating friend over there."

Giving the pair of Slytherins a death glare, Hermione held open a massive tome. "No he was cataloging what he'd found. Listen to his last words written in Old English. I'll translate."

 _"Date? Unsure and could care even less._

 _I'm leaving one time more. If I'm lucky, I'll die fighting in the Blight. Appropriately fitting as I am rotting from the Taint. But if I give a good show of it I'll have avenged my friends from Manetheren_ ("It must be a place." Hermione interjected needlessly.) _and gave glorious death to as many Shadowspawn as possible._

 _To any who follow, be wary of what you have._

 _Light preserve and forgive me. I was too weak, and too late. I go to spit in Sight Blinder's eye. Hoping my heirs will continue my work."_

Everyone was silent then. There was little any could say to hearing the last words of a man they all were raised to fear and honour. But then a shiver ran through Neville at one word. A terrible noun he felt was actually a name, the Blight.

"I think he was traveling too Hermione. I think he found more truths we've yet to see." Neville blurted out and pointed to the specimens, "Don't those look like a Blight?"

His compatriots all shivered involuntarily. Slytherin had truly left them a Chamber of Secrets, but would they survive the discovery?


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I am not J. or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Five: Chancing Fate

Having lit the fireplace and the ancient lamps that were placed strategically about, the group set to work. With the worrisome possibility that somehow Ancients had found their way into Hogwarts, all of them worked to try and locate a key to getting out of there. None relished the idea of being trapped down there any longer than necessary.

Beating his head on the open pages of the book he tried to study by its diagrams, Harry groaned, "This one is useless. I'm positive by the pictures it's a way to either cook those poisonous thousand year old peaches or a treatise on spinning yarn for fun and profit. As it's in one of those wonky languages, I can't be a hundred percent positive either way."

A commiserating look was blooming on Daphne, who held a book that was pinned in the other of those two languages. Salazaar Slytherin must have had either a very active mind or was well beyond barmy. So far he was noted to have utilized eleven languages in total. Outside of the two unidentifiable ones were Old English, Arabic, Sanskrit, Konia Greek, Latin, Coptic, Aramaic, Ancient Greek, and what they thought was Kuniaform.

Thankfully Hermione was adept at Old English, Konia Greek, and Latin with Padma adding Arabic, Sanskrit, and Aramaic. The rest might as well have been the two Ancient tongues.

Fred, George, and Blaise had made headway into the oddities and weapons corner. One indicator as to what some of the knickknacks were came from Hermione's deciphering an older early entry. They were all created by the One Power and some work as aids of sorts in doing Ancient magic. Male aligned was tagged with the black half of the yin-yang. Feminine centered had the white half as a tag. A third set held the ones marked with a full yin-yang, most likely they were for both genders. As for the shelves and great racks of weapons, most were sharp pointies and assumed to be for sticking into or slicing an enemy or two. Some of the others more fit the bashing set of descriptions. As for the rest they defied any notions he could make out as to how they worked.

Tired and quite frustrated, Harry closed his tome of very well near gibberish and stood to shake out the growing cobwebs. Besides some early startling discoveries they were not a hair's width closer to freedom or understanding. Wearily he wobbled over to stare at the great brute floating in whatever Slytherin had preserved him in. It was disturbingly clear as to its male gender by its humongous credentials on display.

"You must have been a right frightful bugger to find in a darkened alley. Were you the demon Godric killed? I wish the memory of that woodsman had been nearer to see that. You look it to me." He muttered darkly at the vile half breed of man and beast.

Owlishly he examined the brute's combat kit. What he saw gave him the willies. A bow that fired shafts bigger around than his thumb with palm sized broad head tips to boot. Each head was crude and looked specifically created in part to cause pain as well as kill. There were fifty of the things in a hip quiver made from what may once have been a man's thigh. Plus there was the battle ax, shorn as it were in half just down from the hand grips on the haft. A bloody big thing that could likely end a fellow in a single glancing blow, or at least make them wish it.

"Ruddy great blighter ain't he?" Blaise half heartedly chuckled as he joined Harry. "I'd hate to see one alive and up close. Those memories were bad enough."

Trapped as they were and more or less stuck depending on each other, a House truce had silently been agreed upon. Which at the moment was fine with Harry. Why hate these three Slytherins when there was scarier people about.

"My thoughts exactly. I can almost imagine the horror he'd cause in London, just by his lonesome. Add a few hundred thousand and we could forget the Statutes of Secrecy and restrictions on underage magic. I will be on my broom hexing as many as I can before they get me." Harry confessed without facing Blaise. "Great fat lot of good a jelly legs jinx would do though."

That had the Slytherin snorting in amusement, "True. Worse yet a hair growth charm."

"Might improve the look of him tough. Hide his more endearing charms you know." Harry countered then sighed, "Truth is that we're in for it if a lot of these blokes start showing up. I'm positive we never covered anything like him in Defense Against the Dark Arts. Of course with dodgy sorts like Lockhart-."

"Don't forget ol'Stutters Quirell." Blaise added.

"He had an excuse." Harry grumbled.

"What, that vampire bit?" his companion pointedly questioned.

"No, that was a lie he made up along with the stuttering. Rotten wanker had Voldemort's wraith form inhabiting the back of his head." Harry grumbled irritably, noting that Blaise gulped.

"No kidding. Huh? Must be why he was always such a charming git with the Deathie Youth. Learn something new everyday. If Draco wasn't in control of my House we might actually have to try more for points." Blaise answered in a ramble.

"You hate the ponce too, I take it." Harry was used to the Slytherin side speaking.

"Hate is an ugly word, but in this case it's close." the Slytherin shrugged. "But his control holds most of our tongues, more with his godfather being Snape. Now though, with all this, the Deathies have no standing. We may be arrogant and worse but ugly here will gladly eat either of us, uncaring of bloodstatus. I'm much too fond of my pretty hide to have it skinned off. Let alone the notion becoming the night's spit roasted repast."

"I can empathize." Harry chuckled wryly.

Parvati hesitantly slipped up beside them and took his hand. "Harry we're all falling asleep and can't keep this up. We need to rest some, if we don't we'll miss something."

Worry about the strangers warred with his own exhaustion. "Alight where are-?"

"Shh...Wait," she interrupted him by laying her slender finger on his lips, "we're all in agreement. None wish to have the group separate." she shyly smiled up at him. "I would like it very much if you slept near me. It is still our date I think."

Gobsmacked momentarily he stares into her eyes, they were gorgeous. "Okay I suppose."

She leapt into him and snogged him senseless. They only broke with Blaise's indelicate cough. Parting they shared a mutual shy grin. Maybe he would ask Parvati to make it more permanent. He fancied the idea of her being his girlfriend more and more.

"I'd say to get a room, but then our dilemma wouldn't be a problem. Would it?" their Slytherin audience smirked, "Just could you two tone it down some. I wouldn't be offended but others might be less charitable." The fellow's dark eyes glittered with mirth.

"He's right Harry. We'll wait till we have more privacy." she sighed while snuggling into him.

The girls had laid out the massive load of clothes around the central funny looking pillar like a large circular bed. Already cozied up together were the Weasley twins and their dates, Alicia and Angelina. Everyone else found places as best they could. Luna in her new dress from the stash quickly cuddled into his back as he held Parvati. Funnily Hermione, Ginny, and Daphne made those funny noises again. Padma beat a defeated looking Ginny into cozying up behind Parvati. Tracey dragged Neville into joining her and Blaise saying something about liking to have cuties for pillows.

Drifting Harry felt his headache come on.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hiding in a desolate dead landscape, Harry felt his scar screaming in agony. A small hot rivulet of fetid blood dribbling down his face, and dripped down onto his sweat stained robes. Gripping tight a sword he didn't know where came from, he stalked his enemy. It was a game of predator versus predator. Both were deadly and very much ready to end the other. But thus far neither had found the upper hand to do just that.

Taking steps that left little enough of a trail to be called none, he silently moved. Ever conscious of making any sort of noise that may alert the mad filthy Stick Shaker. At least till it was too late for the dark wizard. Too bad there was no time to bring the Dark Pain a death that would give the innumerable victims he'd tortured satisfying justice.

"Come out. Come out Potter. Face you fate. I am destined to rule, not you or your lies about my great ancestor." Voldemort cried out in a raspy high pitched voice.

"Go hang!" Harry cast and projected his words away from himself. "Admit you're truly remorseful and leave well enough alone."

"Fool Potter! I will rule!" the Molded One ranted.

Some rocks crunched underfoot. Hearing that Harry dove as a Killing Curse went hissing overhead where his shoulder had once been. In that he fell into a crevasse with stone walls and carved inscriptions he should have known. A twisted and wrong door stood at one end, open and brazenly challenging him to enter in.

Glancing over his shoulder for pursuit, he steps in...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

... he jerked awake with sweat pouring down his face. A pair of warm bodies held him close, the clean delicate feminine smell of them made his racing scattered mind settle down. One of them was watching him with a deep interest that made her wide blue eyes a startling vision.

"Sometimes it helps it helps to have someone hold me when I dream. Do you mind if I hold you for that and other reasons?" Luna quietly whispered, her face barely inches from his, "It will help."

"Brilliant. I guess I don't mind, but my dreams have never been sane, normal, or nice. It might be upsetting to hear me." he warned in a bare whisper.

"No it won't. You speak parsletongue in your sleep from what I've heard." she confided with a gentle serenity that caused her smile to glow, "It was a bit strange at first, but I became accustomed to it. It was almost pretty in its way."

"Brilliant! Just brilliant. As if my life wasn't bad enough as it were already." he grumbled causing her to giggle tinily, then kiss his cheek. A bloke can get used to being kissed by witches all the time. How had he not realized this earlier?

"Has anyone ever told you that you're cuter when you blush?" she snuggled up close to him. "Now sleep Harry, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

Grinning he tried to ponder his latest dream but couldn't. He felt far too good to do it.

Almost inaudibly Luna whispered, "I'm safe with you Harry."

"Same here." Parvati whispered into his neck before turning him over to kiss him soundly. "Now sleep you two."

Waking up in Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets was disconcerting and extremely disorienting. It also presented problems. Having no discernable loo, they frantically found an empty glass bottle the size of a chamber pot and the wonderful _Evenesco_ Charm. First went the ladies, then the now squirming fellows. Next came the bigger issue, they had no food outside of ancient poisonous peach preserves or one of Slytherin's many gruesome pickled critters. None of that was appealing for a breakfast, besides what wine would they pair with big and ugly? Oh that's right, no water was in evidence either. However that was remedied by an _Aquamenti_ charm.

All of the extra unforseen worries weighed on Harry's mind. It was his fault they were down there, it would have to be up to him to get them out. Finding the key to the place was becoming a primary need, supported by the major motivators of food, sanitation, and warning others if they could of the strangers.

To this goal he began examining the diagrams as well as the written material. Most of it was outside of his comprehension, like the large scroll of funny drawings. Few of those drawings were much more than a couple of lines and a geometric shape. Then there were the ones he was positive he could almost fathom, even considering the language barrier. Of these was a neat scroll on proper wand forms compared to apparently five basics of some sort.

Studying those five symbols Slytherin regularly used, Harry was able to determine an idea of what they were. First was a set of three lines with curly swishes, reminiscent of waves. He felt this had to be water. Second was clearly a candle flame, and so he assumed it was fire. Third up was a cloud like drawing, which stumped him. Ginny, who had joined his effort alongside Daphne, thought it might mean sky. To which Daphne thought may be wind or air. Agreeing on that made the second to last much easier to identify as earth. Its symbol was a jagged line going up in the middle and back down afterwards. This left only the last as a mystery.

Having deciphered these, the three shared a celebratory hug. They did refrain from dancing about like loons though. But with so much they couldn't understand just then, even simple victories and new headway were miracles. Bonus to this was how nice it felt to hold them close like this, even the Slytherin Daphne. Though he had begun to think more and more of asking Parvati to be his girlfriend. Was it wrong then to enjoy holding another witch or two?

During all of his and his companion's studies, the others were also busy. Tracey had discerned that the clothes were from different cultures. Having clearly decided the larger set was for people like Hagrid, not for brutes like their pickled friend. Reasons for this lay with the fact there were men's boots and shoes. Big and ugly had hooves. How this all helped them was anyone's guess, but again headway was headway. Fred, George, and Blaise had began to study some of the more obscure weapons and artifacts. When the twins set off a jagged lightening bolt from a long lance everyone begged them to be more careful. Harry's team mates Angelina and Alicia were delving into the potions and ingredients with a confused awe. Incredibly finding things that Snape most likely would fail to identify. In the Herbology section, Neville and Parvati had also began to hit a wall. One thing they could definitively say was that the Blighted plants had still been very alive, but all were twisted somehow. Finally came Hermione, Padma, and the serenely smiling Luna, or at least she was when Harry looked her way. This trio of intelligentsia had began making a catalog of sorts from what they could read of Slytherin's Journal. What they shared had sounded nearly pure fantasy rubbish except for the correlating evidence laying everywhere.

For all of this though, no one felt they were a hair's breadth closer to escape, and nervous tension was settling in. More as they found themselves down there for what could have been a few days or nearly a week. To their horror none of their watches were working properly. Or it could have been the anxiety making it seem that way. With how hungry they all were getting Harry was glad Ron was not in there with them. The youngest Weasley wizard may have made an attempt on the deadly peach preserves or old Pickled Gruesome.

Except Harry did miss his bestmate terribly. The ginger git would have loved fooling around with the weapons and such. Plus there was Hagrid, who'd have most likely enjoyed seeing all the preserved creatures. Even if it may have saddened him that they were pickled. Then there was Sirius, his roguish godfather, whom may have died laughing at the ironic joke that the "Founder" of the uppity purebloodist movement had no such ideas at all.

Finding himself a bit overwhelmed Harry took a break and sat down with his head in his hands. Sighing he looked up to gaze dumbly at the huge scroll of funny drawings, he tried not to let anyone see he was this side of crying. Tears were unneeded and may only harm their chances. Especially from him, but how could he not feel? How could the Ancients squash their emotions so easily? In times like these, not causing mass hysteria would be extremely beneficial about now.

His two compatriots joined him and scooted incredibly close, one on each side. Both looked as tired as he felt. A general malaise was spreading, and the three of them were succumbing to it. Fear and uncertainty had ate away any of their joy till now it was a chore to continue, save for their earlier victory. But none of them were defeatists, and so they still pressed on.

"You know classes have began again." Daphne yawned wearily, "Funny to find I'd be missing dozing in Binns' class. Or hoping not to die fighting Skrewts."

"I can imagine it now. All of us volunteering to help with the monsters." giggled Ginny with a grin for the Slytherin. "But I'll forego Snape's nastiness thank you very much. Unless he slows ugly over there from eating me."

Daphne leaned over in a burst of wild laughter at that, "Toss in Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle and we have a deal. If I have to suck up to Crabbe one more time I'll scream."

"Why would you have to do that at all?" Ginny asked in sympathetic disgust.

"Draco's the alpha or one of them at least. If he wants anything he gets it. He decided his pair of primates needed girlfriends. As the friends of Pansy, his girl, Tracey and me were selected." she shuddered violently while explaining.

Harry found that repulsive, "That's just a neat way to have slaves. One more reason Draco best pray I'll never catch him."

A small smile played across Daphne's face at that, "That's sweet but Snape won't allow it, and Dumbledore backs the grease bucket up against all complaints."

"If I find the secrets of Salazaar Slytherin, I may force Snape out of teaching no matter who backs him up. I'm tired of his treating everything I do as a crime. Or acting as if my friends are less than human." He scanned the drawings idly while replying. There was some pattern to them that he was at a loss to catching a hold of. The more he learned of Daphne's House the less he like it.

"I'm glad I chose Gryffindor then." Ginny laughed in relief, "The Hat was split between Lion and Snake."

That paused both Daphne and Harry. Too gobsmacked to speak, Harry went back to his own sorting. It sounded too similar, but he knew Ginny couldn't have known that. No one did.

Daphne shook her herself to ask with concern, "Really? Why did you choose to be a Kitten then?"

"Simple. I was terrified of being disowned if I went Slytherin like it wanted. Well that and other reasons." she gave Harry a shy glance while answering.

Nodding in understanding Daphne sighed, "Same reason for me. Either be a Slytherin like my family has been for centuries or go Hufflepuff. Story, my sister, nearly chose Gryffindor but for her one time crush on Draco of all the wizards alive. She lost that quick enough, if a bit late to change her fate."

"I wonder what life would have been like to be different than what we got." Ginny sighed and fiddled with the long incomprehensible scroll. "What if I hadn't let...?"

"Let what?" their Slytherin companion inquired cautiously.

Wishing to save Ginny's elaborating on her rough first year, Harry spoke up, "I asked not to be in Slytherin."

His confession stunned them both. He found their dual stares of shock unnerving.

Shrugging he explained, while staring down into his hands. "It was going to dump me into Slytherin. However I begged and begged it to not do that. So now I'm in Gryffindor. Best result all things considered."

A dry emotion choked Daphne as she asked, "Why did you hate us so badly even back then? What did we do to you?"

"Not you lot. It was Draco." he stared at the scroll once more to frame his words. He felt he was missing some vital clue with these drawings.

Making a strange strangled curse, Daphne spat, "Bloody Ferret Prince!"

"Harry?" Ginny squeaked quietly, then grew stronger. "You're right this way was better. It is, what with Snape like he is."

Only he had tuned them out. His mind was now wholly focused on the drawings. They were strangely familiar to him. He's seen others like them. "What am I missing. We're close. I can feel it."

Standing and startling his two companions, Harry unrolls the scroll fully. If only he could see the whole picture or pattern. To do this he had to unroll it funnily skewed around the weird center column. Giving him a pair of weird looks at this, his two compatriots gave each other matching shrugs. Sighing they got up to help him. The thing went around at least three and a half times the trio found.

"Blimey that's a monster." Daphne commented, "Why did we unroll it like this?"

"To see the whole of it. I've seen some of these marks before." he mumbled in reply while gazing down at the swirl of parchment. Unfortunately he was now more confused than before.

"Ha! Come on you lot. We found something fun." Blaise barked with joy.

Looking up in frustration, Harry cast a levitation charm on the spiraled work. It floated up to allow everyone to go by without any accidents to his project. Keeping an eye on the hovering scroll, he slowly joined the others around Blaise and the Weasley twins.

The trio of wizards all bore bright shining mischievous grins. Before them were five small bags, in each were loads of coins. Each were also labeled in some more of Slytherin's esoteric markings. Funny little drawings that made Harry lose concentration on the floating scroll. While it wafted down with a slight twist, he tried to pick one of the bags up to examen it.

Grunting in surprise, he looked up sharply at the three fellows, "Bugger me." The thing was horribly heavy.

"We know!" George barked with a laugh.

"Had to use levitation charms on them." Fred joined his twin's wheezing laughter.

Reaching into one, Blaise dug out great handfuls of strangely marked coins, "The bags must be magical. Have a great load of coin in each I reckon. I counted near a thousand gold coins alone and still had barely made a dent in it. We could all retire now, I wager and do it in style to boot."

Padma frowned, "Why did he sort them like that?"

"Their important. We've seen them. Right Daphne, Ginny?" Harry blurted out. "Those pictures are on that scroll back there. Oh bugger it all, the scroll!" He yelped in alarm at that last, then hurriedly cast a new levitation charm on the thing. In his haste he almost tore it.

Ginny clapped her hands in excitement, "It's a map!"

"It could be a catalog system." Hermione pointedly interjected.

"Maybe, but I doubt it. We've seen those marks too. He has three jars of helbore, and each was marked with one of those pictures in the corner of the labels." Angelina grumbled tiredly. "It's one reason we've been at a loss to what we have."

Folding her arms just under her breasts, Hermione sniffed dismissively, "That only supports my theory. He was a bit barmy, and a pictogram code to his notes may have fit his madness I think."

"So Slytherin is relegated back to insane old geezer again?" Tracey sarcastically cut in.

Unfolding her arms, his best friend grumped, "I don't know what to make of him. He's hard to follow. What we've managed to read of his journal doesn't all fit together."

"And a map would be madness if it only held symbols and no topographical locations." Padma came to the aid of her co-researcher. "It has to be an index. Just to keep everything straight if you will."

Tracey snorted derisively at that and ladled extra sarcasm into her reply, "How can two of the brightest witches of our year, and maybe more, be so incredibly thick headed? Why can't it be a map, we just don't know what to yet?"

"The peaches have the same picture as that bag Harry tried to lift." Neville timidly added.

"You're right Nev it does!" Parvati crowed in excitement.

Hermione seemed to not be listening as she fired back at Tracey, "Pictograms stand for things. Many civilizations used them instead of hand writing. Ancient Egyptians, Mayans, Aztacs, Chines, and more did this. Maybe he's doing as he has everywhere else and used another language? That fits his standard approach. Making a map with no points of reference doesn't fit. Don't you see?" Harry had to wince at Hermione's lecturing tone.

Ginny wasn't about to let her ally down and cut back. "Maybe the _pictograms_ are points of reference? He must have been wickedly brilliant to do all this. Eleven distinct languages Hermione! None of us, you and Padma included, are even near that."

"Exactly!" Tracey cheered with a jabbed finger at his obstinate best friend's faction.

Wanting to avoid being dragged into this, he began to try and save the precious, if infuriating scroll. What ever it was, he did not think it wise to waste it. Coming to his aid was Neville, Luna, Daphne, and Alicia. It was a right mess.

"There are different coins in each of the bags. Some are similar but not quite." Blaise bravely offered up. "Why would that be?"

Care was taken by Harry's group to untangle the near knotted up scroll. Harry and Luna were levitating it like a great spaghetti drying rack. Angelina and the Weasley twins came to help them all.

Waspishly, Padma snapped, "Maybe some are of lessor value or from a different reign?"

"I thought of that, but this much verity is not quite right." Blaise replied while holding up two example coins. "Take a look."

Hermione and Padma did just that.

Having salvaged the scroll, Harry's group were stumped on which end to roll from.

"I don't see a difference." Hermione noted critically.

"That's what is brilliant. Shaving off not enough to alarm a casual eye but enough to make a new coin. Only none of these look trimmed." the Slytherin wizard cooly replied, so again why purposely separate them all? Coin is coin after all."

Back with the scroll, they were now rolling the funny find up for safety's sake. Map or Index it was nagging at him that he could almost understand the thing.

"I think its upside down." Luna was attempting to turn her head like an owl. "That or the room is itself."

Rolling her eyes, Daphne testily asked. "Well the room is not upside down. Your point Lovegood?"

Frowning the airy witch shrugged. "It has the same symbols the column has. It's very well copied. Turn it Harry."

Hesitantly he does just that. She was right.

Waving to his arguing friends he bid them over, "Hermione, Padma I think it's more a map. Otherwise Slytherin would have been truly mad, what with his scrawling the same pictograms all over the column here."

Everyone stared at the odd support beam for the room.

"You think it's the way out?" Angelina asked hopefully.

"Maybe." Daphne whispered, "But to where?"

"Does it matter?" Alicia quietly and reverently petted the column. "Just how do we use it, and when can we go?"

Hermione stepped up beside him and gazed worriedly at their Obelisk of Hope. "We need a plan. We don't want to get caught off guard again."

"I concur. What if it's worse where we go?" Padma added with a hug for Hermione.

"We go nonetheless." Harry decided, "We'll just starve to death in here otherwise."


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I am not J. or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Six: Climbing the Beanstalk

Night time, or what they agreed probably was night, came quickly. Cold as always and, as Ginny found out after the first night, was a scrum for Harry's side. Tonight she'd bested the wily and crafty Luna. Harry's back would be finally in her possession, and she fully knew her need for Harry was not quite sane. Then again neither of their lives were anywhere near being that mundane. Few girls ever are rescued from a psychotic evil wizard and his vile monstrous pet by the love of their lives. Ginny was one of the exclusive few, and more than a little dazzled by it.

Cozying down behind her love, she whispered, "Goodnight Harry. Oh, just so you know, I still want my dances. I've been looking forward to them."

"I haven't forgotten. I'm also planning a suitable revenge on the ponce for ruining all of our Yule Balls." he chuckled grimly. "It has to be special."

Parvati giggled from her usual place in Harry's arms, "Well I don't know. We did find all this because of him. How about a fruit basket and call it good."

"We do have the peaches for it." Daphne, Ginny's newest friend and rival added from behind her. The girl had cuddled into Ginny quickly or lose out to Luna. "While we're at it, we can send some to Snape too. Sweeten him up nicely I think."

"No, the peaches would run from that one." Harry yawned then as per their usual these days, him and Parvati snogged goodnight. Even so it broke Ginny's heart just a bit.

"Harry?" Hermione hesitantly asked, "Have you thought on that egg? If we get back, you might have to compete. They didn't care if you didn't enter, why would they care about all this happening either?"

Groaning in denied pleasure, Parvati hissed, "You're right Hermione, but couldn't it wait till morning? We were relaxing rather nicely."

"All of you cut it out. We're all rather tired." Angelina barked in command. "If we're lucky Harry's competing in the tournament is for then. As is for his snogging you crosseyed Parvati. What we should be thinking on is rest and whatever this place we're going is like. It might end up being our new home if things go sideways."

"That's why I want my snoggings now." Parvati pouted sullenly, "Whatever happens, I want a happy memory tonight. Is that wrong?"

"It is if we have to hear it." Alicia countered.

Ginny didn't know what side to choose, but deeply wished to be the one Harry was snogging. By the sound of it Daphne, Hermione, and Luna may have felt the same. It was a confusing mess. Thankfully it had began to become clear that Padma was backing down from the race to be Harry's girlfriend, what with her twin in the lead to win Harry's heart.

Blaise asked one of the questions on everyone's mind, "What do we do if we all end up stuck there, wherever there is?"

"Find a way to make coin." snarkily answered her brother Fred.

"Marry a pretty witch." George suggested.

"Settle down." concurred Alicia.

"Just make do." Angelina growled in finality.

However Luna was now interested, "Would we form Circles like in the memories?"

Strangling a cough, Harry wheezed, "What? You can't be serious."

"Girl knows what she wants. Blaise my luv, you and I will need to talk I think." Tracey purred seductively to the gaunt wizard.

"Interesting offer." the fellow smirked. "If I think I understand you."

"We'll see, wizards are a bit daft on the whole." Tracey cheekily chuckled.

A heavy sigh from Neville made Ginny grow pensive. Her sweet big friend needed a girl. Both of them knew they were wrong for each other, so her being it wouldn't happen. Also, even if he fancied Ginny's best friend, Hermione was plainly and painfully not into him. Luna, sweet and gentle Luna, was an idea but she showed no inclination towards Neville. However Padma was free, intelligent, smashingly beautiful, and a very nice witch.

"An idea." she whispered to herself, expecting no one to hear.

"What is?" Daphne whispered just as quietly to Ginny.

"To get Neville and Padma together. He needs and deserves a good girl." Ginny replied hurriedly to her Slytherin friend.

A silence followed that, then the girl chirped, "I like it. You think we can do it?"

"Why not?" Ginny reasoned out with her possible co-conspirator. "If only..."

"There was a way to be Harry's?" her friend wryly chuckled.

"Am I that obvious?" she asked Daphne while her face burned hotly.

Squeezing her tight Daphne teased, "Just a bit. But who am I to talk?"

"Whoever is talking best pray I don't find them." Angelina growled in warning, "Whatever you're gabbing on about can wait. That's an order."

"Yes mummy." Fred laughed.

"Shut it you. Unless you want to snuggle ol'Pickled Ugly." she threatened. "Now scoot closer its cold."

Suppressing a giggle, Ginny snuggled into her Harry's back. He responded by reaching back to pat her thigh, "Goodnight Ginny, I tend to have nightmares, so please forgive me if I thrash about a bit." He made to take his hand away, just when she had let her guard down to enjoy it.

Daringly she acted quickly and grabbed hold of it, "Thanks for the warning but I won't mind. Me and Parvati will protect you. Now rest." She barely kept from adding _my love_ at the end.

It was late by the time he fell asleep in her arms. Longer still for her as she reveled in the intimate feel of their embrace. Unable to resist any longer and just before she joined him in sleeping, she lightly kissed the nape of his neck. Vowing to be his witch if it killed her.

"I love you Harry Potter." she barely breathed out, "One day I hope you will love me too."

Unfortunately they couldn't have slept longer. Hunger pains gnawed at all of them, and made even her dream come true night of sleeping with her love in her arms uncomfortable. Escape out of Salazaar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets was imperative if they wished to live.

Groaning in exhaustion, her empty stomach's cringing awoke her, Ginny half wanted to just stay laying in bed with her arms around Harry. Flickering her eyes open she gasped in a shiver of joy as he rolled over to face her. His emerald green pool like eyes were drowning her mental faculties. Flight had been her main recourse in times like these, but not this time. Fun as it were the night before, her arm had fell asleep holding him and was now pinned by his lovely warm body. Close as they were right then, they were breathing each other's air.

Tenderly he kissed her brow, "You were having a nightmare about Tom. It seemed to lessen when you could squeeze me like a teddy bear and have Daphne do the same with you. I've deflected most everyone's questions, but your brothers, Daphne Hermione, and Parvati are insisting on talking to you later."

"I've told Hermione most of it." Ginny squeaked, "What did I say?"

"Not much, except that bit about my near dying. Ginny, you know I'd do it again if it meant saving you right?" he tenderly spoke, but she could feel the truth of his words. Knowing that her love would yet again face death for her made her want to win his heart. "If you ever need to talk it over, or talk about anything I'm here for you."

What she wanted to talk over was them being a couple, as that wouldn't hurt too bad. Her heart was too raw from the shame and pain of being a tool for the likes of Tom to talk to him about it all. Unfortunately his becoming more and more Parvati's man meant even her hope of his loving her was a pipe dream. Sitting and talking with him over anything may only sharpen the pain of being the hanger on accident of her family. The reject Weasley is what she was.

Swallowing her emotional turmoil down, she replied, "Thank you Harry. Maybe... Maybe I will sometime."

"Good, now lets get up. Today we've loads to do." he hugged her tight, but more like a brother would than as the lover she ached for him to be. "Who knows maybe we'll get to eat today. That would be a pleasant change, won't it."

Growling its whole hearted agreement with that, her stomach clinched down. Not having a single bite to eat since the Yule Ball Feast, and losing most of that when they came here, she was out of sorts. Weasleys may be poor, but they did enjoy large tasty meals.

Later as the whole group was looking over the evidence, samples, and reasons to go to one of the five places Slytherin had money for. It was decided early on that money meant civilization and maybe a way to learn more about magic and a way back to the world beyond the Chamber. Maybe in time to warn the authorities of those strangers, if they were not too late already. A thought Ginny strove to avoid, and thinking of where to go helped in driving it out.

So far two of the five were discounted because of a severe lack of available knowledge. That is outside a few scorched coins, sets of clothes in poor condition, and potion ingredients that smelled off. Another was abandoned as they found more of the Blight samples bearing that mark than the rest. Justifiable fear of what may be on the other side made those choices simple ones to make. It was debating the pros and cons of the remaining two that had them locked in to a stalemate.

"A bushel of poisonous peaches is not enough to discount that marking. Look at all that Slytherin has of the place." Tracey imperiously pointed at the mounds of clothes that bore that particular sign. "It must be where he went the most often. Why else did he bring back so much compared to the rest?"

Rubbing his eyes wearily, Neville countered, "Don't forget that eyeless head was also from that mark, as are those scorched banners. I'm certain it didn't happen near a common cook fire. One maybe, ten is beyond reason."

Closing her own tired eyes Ginny tossed her head back groaning what troubled her most about the other place, "I don't think dresses with collars like a pets is a good sign either. I may love to pet Hermione's Crookshanks, but I don't have to emulate him."

All the girls in were in total agreement on this stance. The implications were not good in their opinion. Voicing their side rather pointedly, Padma tried to make Neville, Blaise, and Ginny's brothers see reason. By vote the boys would lose, but this was not a snap decision by show of hands. It could mean life or death. Or as the girls rightfully feared, slavery. "Do you not see that the place you're wishing to take us clearly does not see women as more than property? I know I come from a culture not renowned for its treatment of the female gender, but that does not make me eager to go where it is markedly worse than my homeland. If we go there, we might as well put on leashes before we go. Possibly even learn to grovel and simper too."

"But what if there is nothing left there? War could have destroyed everything Slytherin had found." Neville said as the spokesman for most of the boys, "We don't like the slave aspects of this choice but we need to discover the magic that must be part of Slytherin's quest to find in the first place. If no one is there we could be in for it."

Meanwhile Ginny saw that Harry was fingering two dresses that could very well have been made by the same hand, for the exact same customer. That is except one was collared and from the place the other boys wished to go to, while the other came from the place with the poisoned peaches. Exactly the same in colour, cut, and frills save the gilded collar and leash on its high lace neck line.

Tears were building in the boy's eyes as he compared the two side by side.

"Wars end. Slavery can last for centuries till it drags all of civilization down. What do you think the meaning of that life with the witch Rhoda was, outside of her inability to fight that Circle?" Hermione snapped. "This is why House Elves should be freed. Slavery only creates anger and decline."

"What witch? I never saw anything about a Rhoda." Blaise asked with confusion painted plainly across his thin dark face. It was mirrored on the other boys' faces as well. "I saw one of a wizard being captured to be sold as a sorcerous gladiator, or of a man trying to rescue his wife and children. But there was no Rhoda."

"What?" the girls all gawked at that admission.

"Well what of the witch getting married and the cousin with the wand?" Tracey incredulously leaned forward to ask the boys. "That one where they were scandalized about a man wishing to teach his daughters magic."

"There was one of a groom talking with his heirless neighbor who had a load of daughters and no wealth to foster them out." Neville remarked which only raised more questions in the lot of teenagers.

Shaking her head in building irritation Ginny spoke up. "I can't believe this. You didn't see what we saw? What fat lot of good that does."

Standing while holding aloft both near identical dresses, Harry took charge of the discussion. "We go to the poisoned peach place. Make sure none of us eat any while we're there by the by. I won't go where slavery is expected, and not a sinful crime."

He walked over to Ginny with the collar free dress and held it out to her, "I think it would suit you. It's as pretty as you are." His tender eyes and attention made her want to giggle madly. Once she took the dress he turned to look them all in the eye, "What good would slave magic do us? Now think why Slytherin made it that a witch and wizard go as a pair? I'd wager it was to show the whole of it and for them to share. Or us as it turned out."

"But what if there is nothing there?" Neville still asked.

"Then we'll make do as best we can. I refuse to expose the girls to this." he violently tossed the slave dress to Neville. "I'm worried too, but none of our number should live that way. We're better than that sort who enslaves others."

Pulling out some empty parchment, Hermione frowned, "Padma please tell me we have more of your spare ink. Mine is all gone."

"Spare ink?" George inquired with a shared weird look from Fred.

"Where did you hide the ink?" Fred asked incredulously at the pair's tight fitting dress robes they wore.

"Rowena's Code #153, _Be prepared to take notes at all times. It saves confusion later._ " Luna and Padma grinned then recited in unison as if they had practiced at it.

Tracey rolled her eyes, "Ravenclaws, and you might as well be one Granger."

Hermione sniffed in offense at that but set to work anyway once she had a bit of ink. "Okay , first and foremost we need to decide what to bring and how."

Smirking Blaise eyed the coins, "We'll need the money. Obviously a number one."

"Harry has money with him already." the aggrieved Hermione cooly eyed the wizard.

"Hermione? I only have around seventy galleons. I seriously doubt that will be enough. That's if they will take goblin minted coins." grumbled Harry, "Plus we don't know trade values. It's not as if I can just pop off to Gringotts for a bag or two more."

"We could use an undetectable extension charm on our purses, and with all the stuff here we can find some for the boys too." Alicia happily spoke up. "The more we bring the better. I'd hate to starve from being too frugal."

"Excellent." Blaise's eyes glowed with unbridled desire, "We need plenty for each of us to survive alone if something untoward jumps us. Plus I suggest smaller purses for any public displays of wealth. Keep our money hidden and avoid trouble from the unsavory sorts."

"Clothes, we'll need plenty to fit in or incase we're stuck." Daphne giggled with a grin for Tracey. "I'd hate to spend too much of our stash on a sufficiently suitable wardrobe. Also I absolutely refuse to wear out my dress robes."

Tracey and Parvati nodded in agreement.

Ginny's practical knut pinching raising opened her lips to add, "Wealthy and everyday wear. I'd not fancy trying to find either if it comes that we need them."

"Smart idea girl." Parvati clapped for that.

"Weapons and the potion stuff." George grunted. "Otherwise we'll find we need pointies too. Just like Gin-Gin suggested."

Fred yawned in support, "Hate to run into Mr. Pickles back there with nothing but my wand and a tickling charm."

All of them shivered at such a thought. Pickles gave her the willies.

"Oh so true brother mine." George concurred.

"We'll need some of his notes if not all of them." Hermione furiously scribbled out what everyone was adding while she spoke. Ginny noted they were low on ink while listening.

"Lets try for it all. If we don't have it we'll need it." she firmly cut through all this silly list making, "Well besides Mr. Pickles and the other grim preserves. We have the drawings, I don't fancy lugging the real thing about." Ginny's best friend looked troubled by that.

"What if we lose all of this?" the bookish brunet bit her lip with honest worry.

"Lets do a triage of all this stuff. Afterwards we'll have a clearer idea of what we want with us." cut in Harry with a hug for Hermione. "I'll start off. The not quite right potion ingredients are a no. Same with all the herbology and creature specimens."

Having a pensive twist to his face, Blaise jerked his head in a disgusted shake. "Only the coins from our destination. The others have matching but are different. We really don't want to have a band of irrate goblins after us. Or whoever handles currency for them. We'll leave the Gringotts coins we have here as well. They may raise questions we should avoid. Its bad enough to be using a thousand plus year old coin or two as it is."

"Lets leave the notes on any place except the ones from our destination too. We don't want to get confused about things in a moment of crises and make a fatal blunder by poor information." Padma sighed reluctantly.

Quietly Luna wandered over to the column, "No, we may have missed a point or two. We'll also need them for when we learn how to use those." The wispy blond pointed to the collection of magical artifacts. "But I wouldn't bring many with us."

"None of those go." Harry became very agitated suddenly, "If lost, they're irreplaceable. If we could get away with out Slytherin's writings I would. But it's a no go to lose those artifacts. If we find others we'll keep and use them."

"Why not a few?" Blaise scratched his peach fuzz thoughtfully.

"What if we do find someone to train us but they demand we give them our stash?" Harry cut across that firmly. "I know we have a chance of never coming back, but if we do...?" He left that last hanging. It made sense in Ginny's mind. Why give up what they don't have to if they don't even have it close at hand.

"And besides that we don't even know what we have over there." the retiringly shy Neville hesitantly spoke up.

"Good point." Harry scanned the group, "Well lets pack then. Parvati may I talk with you privately please?"

Angelina smirked, "Later lover boy. We have work to do."

A thread of terror flittered in Ginny's mind at what he would want to talk with the too bubbly Patil about. If only her own mind didn't begin to freeze up when he looked her way just now. It wasn't fair!

"Wait!" Tracey barked to get everyone's attention. "Lets try out the clothes to see what fits. That's one thing we can do to avoid excess."

It must have hurt for the girl to say that out loud. Ginny felt the Slytherin girl was a bit of a clothes horse to even challenge the likes of Lavender Brown.

Nodding emphatically Hermione seconded that motion, "I agree. Some of that is made for people as big as Hagrid or Madam Maxime. I'd rather have room for more useful articles."

"And where are we going to be doing this changing at?" Alicia squawked while waving around the open room, "I know I might one day fancy a boy seeing my bits, but not right now."

"Here! Here!" Padma exclaimed while blanching a sickly green.

The boys looked none too chuffed about this either. Both Harry and Neville were turning a fine beet red in the process. Only Blaise looked mostly unconcerned. Then again he was a continental, those sorts are all a bit funny Ginny considered by her mum's teachings.

With a swish and flick the dresses and suit coats the size of tents began to float upwards by Hermione and Daphne's commands. Neither had said a word before beginning to work.

Tracey pointed to the banner poles commanding them to move as well, commenting brightly, "We make a separation for us. Now this is important. Clothes provide an illusion of what we want people to see us as. Just think of this as a shopping trip. It'll be fun, I promise."

That had Harry look a bit peeked in addition to his earlier blush, an emotion Ginny could relate to. Seeing an opportunity though, she moved to his side, "It'll be okay. We can do this."

"Maybe." he replied staring off into space pensively, then he smiled dazzlingly once he met her gaze, "At least we can see if I was right about that dress."

"Right." she responded while wishing to crow in victory that he noticed her, "Plus none will cost us a single knut."

He burst into a soft laughter with a wink for her, "And nothing here looks like Ron's dress robes."

"The blessings keep coming." she chuckled with him, but still fought down the flighty flutters of her hammering heart.

The erecting of a stable and suitably semi-private changing areas for the boys and girls took time. What made it more daunting was the sheer number of selections. For a supposedly crotchety old hermit of a wizard, he had went to great lengths to find a huge array of clothing for a collection.

Once the stacks were set out into likely sizes, the group split up by gender. Tiny tingles of a sense they were all a bit naughty for being so tantalizingly close flitted through Ginny's Weasley raising. Just a small crack and either side would get an eyeful. Thoughts of what it would be like to either sneak a peek or give a show teased her conscience terribly.

However she knew in truth that she would be mortified if the boys caught a glimpse. It was bad enough that the school didn't have private bathing facilities as it were. They were only divided by House and gender, nothing else. She missed the secluded privacy of home.

Stripping down to her knickers and training bra, she valiantly tried not to notice the other girls. Praying they did the same for her. Brief, unintentional flashes made her blush horribly. For instance the older girls were wearing lacy underthings compared to her cotton. It was humiliating is what it was.

"Oooh look. I have a tattoo on my chest." Luna airily spoke up. "I thought I had seen it when I put on my new dress earlier. But then it had been dark."

"So do I!" yelped Tracey, "Mum'll kill me!"

"Bugger!" Neville squawked, "I have one too. Great ruddy snake at that."

Taking a deep breath for courage, she glanced down under her wear worn training bra. What she found there made her feel sick. She had one as well. A gold, red, white, and black metallic shimmering thing eating its own tail, around a yin-yang. Her mum and dad would kill her if they saw it. Thankfully it was not in a normally visible location.

"We all have one over here." Harry choked out.

Looking up and nodding at the other girls who were doing the same, she squeaked, "Same with us. Where could we have gotten them?"

"It's obvious that we were gifted the bleeding things for our trips down memory lane, little sister." George's voice sounded conflicted. "Little reminders is what I'd wager."

Fred commiserated unhelpfully, "Look on the bright side mum'll butcher us only if we tell her. And I plan on avoiding ever doing that."

"I second that family mine. Why bother them with troubling things when its completely unnecessary." George chuckled wryly. "So itty Ginnikins, we hold it to you to not speak a word. It wont hurt them to not know they should be for flaying us."

Sniffling Ginny tried not to sound timid, "I'm not a Percy. I keep secrets I know."

Hurrying to finish finding their clothes selections, everyone had at least four sets when they were done. With the girls deciding to remove the slave collars from the other place's batch to give them eight to nine changes apiece. Though the selections were not all totally to their likings, as both the witches and wizards had some dodgy discoveries. Breeches that fit as snugly as tights for the boys, meant to be worn with knee length boots. The ladies had nixed sets of dresses that had ovular holes centered around their abdomens that extended to just shy of obscene up top and below. However they did find luck in that they all found matching footwear for all their new wardrobe's additions. Plus the girls all liked the pretty cuts and designs of what they had chosen for themselves.

For a thousand year old sets of clothing, these were rather fine finds. Even if they were snug in some of the numbers, they made up for it in how stylish the embroidery and lace work appeared. The boys cut fine figures in the clean lined cloaks and that lay among all the huge collection available. As for her dress her Harry gave her, it fit fabulously and made her look and feel a gorgeous princess.

She swore to surprise him with it at some opportune time. Hopefully she would dazzle him utterly into falling for her.

Finally done with this orgy of clothes picking out. The lot dressed in the simpler sturdier things they had. To get used to them and as a way to save their dress robes. Daphne had raised a few eyebrows at her joy in plain simple shoes compared to her fancy Yule Ball footwear. To Ginny it was extremely odd to not prefer her pretty silky soft slippers over the pair of stiff buff leather loafers that were scrounged up for her. Consoling herself that the delicate slippers would be kept safe for later.

Creating bags for them to carry this all took just a matter of a few flicks and muttered incantations. Watching Alicia and Angelina carefully, all of them had learned how. Though the boys did take a much longer time in getting the charms to cast. Never mind they were impeccable with their wand work. Further proof that the Ancients had been real and very much right about teaching magic.

While most everyone packed Harry and Hermione studied to find clues about using the column. Both had their heads bent together, with their knees touching, the duo strove to make heads or tails out of the notes. Seeing how they blushed now and then, Ginny felt the growling snarl of jealousy at the sight of them. Shoving it down took time, but she refused to be like Ron and ruin everything for everyone.

"Well at least its not Parvati." Daphne hissed in a whisper for Ginny alone, over the stacked load of books they were packing up. Meeting the girl's eyes, she had to crack a smile. Her rival and friend held the same gleam of the green eyed monster raging in Ginny's heart.

Sorting and packing claimed the rest of the day, and everyone were glad to be finished with it at the end. Exhaustion spurred their decision to try their luck at leaving tomorrow morning. Disappointingly Harry and Hermione stayed up, as did Padma and Neville in a bid to decipher any more tiny but vital details in Slytherin's notes and collected works. This forced the weary Daphne, Ginny, Luna, and Parvati to snuggle up without Harry at all for a change.

When they awoke in the morning all four whom stayed up were incredibly already up and looking grim. Yet what they said gave everyone a glimmer of pure hope.

"It's time. We think we understand how it is done, more or less." Harry tiredly announced for the group. "Plus we want to point out that Slytherin left us six other symbols not on this column. We hope one is a way home, but what he wrote of them was in one of the unknown languages."

That chilled the lot of them. This very well could end up a one way ticket into the unknown. Sadly no one they knew would likely ever learn of their fate. Ginny wished she could go back in time and hug extra tight all her family one more time. Even Ron and Percy, but maybe not Aunt Muriel. She really hated that old bat.

"I don't have one. But would like to say that even if I did, we don't have the luxury to object. Staying here means starving." Tracey pointed out with one hand on her hip.

Angelina laughed, "Then lets do this. Just remember to avoid eating the peaches."

"Alright everyone lets clear the place around the column and then gather around here." Harry instructed, "It may be best if we all held on to each other. I'm not certain though."

A flurry of levitation charms later, and they were ready. Bunching up tight, the whole lot clung to everyone else. Only Harry and Hermione were not clutching onto the others with both hands. Instead both of them were entwining their spell casting hands together about their wands.

In unison the pair cast together while touching the chosen marking, a simple triangle inside a circle. "Locomotus Maxima!"

This was the group's last hope of salvation, and they had no way of knowing if this was actually their swan songs.

The world started to shimmer, then all that Ginny saw began to flicker rapidly.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Seven: Through The Looking Glass

 **Flicker** flicker **flicker** flicker...

Her world began to tilt and grow faint. Then...

Flicker...

She was falling. Strong arms already holding her kept her upright. They were under a cool grey blue evening sky.

Gazing up into his perfect green eyes, Hermione felt unrestrained joy at succeeding. On impulse she lifted up while pulling his face to hers and kissed him soundly. It was a glorious perfect moment. The stars were twinkling overhead with a wild scented chilly breeze cutting through them and the forest all about. The night's untamed nature liberated her from her strictly obeyed inhibitions, bestowing a serene sense of nirvana. Her Harry seemed caught in the same sensations with his responding to her kiss with a growing fire that burned away his own tightly held reticence.

They were free! They were alive! But more than that, the two of them were exploring a new horizon for their friendship.

In her peripheral vision she saw they were in a high mountain valley cut by a happily gurgling stream nearby. Clean air, purer than any she had ever smelled before seared her lungs by its chilly bite. Yet it was his husky scent and warmth that made her feel alive. Ronald Bilius Weasley may have held her timid logical attention before the Yule Ball but Hermione had come to an earth shattering discovery. It was Harry Potter, the quite and gentle boy she once thought out of reach and safely placed into the role of best friend, that captivated and dominated her heart.

His hands were drawing her into him by her waist while she let her left leg partly hook its way around his. Her knuckles were whiting as she clenched hold of his collar in need of never leaving this satisfying of her long denied hunger for his love.

"Uh-HEM!" a hard cough broke them apart, hammering them with harsh reality.

"Bugger... I'm sorry Parvati, Hermione... I just..." Harry spluttered as he let her go after helping her regain her own feet. "I... I'm sorry!"

Hurricane Parvati Patil stormed up and gave Hermione a threatening glare before rounding on Harry. "Just don't do it again. You weren't at fault there." Then with a frigid dark glare for Hermione the infuriated witch proceeded to snog him crosseyed.

Mortified, but longing for Harry even more, Hermione wished to just flee forth with. But to where? Her safe place had been the Hogwarts Library. Sadly for her it might as well have been on the moon for how accessible it was to her now. A realization that made her look up in shame at said celestial body peeking over the tree and ridge line.

"Merlin help us! The moon, it's..." she tried to speak but found it difficult. She knew they would be traveling into the unknown but the sight of the moon struck home what this truly meant. The ramifications were far more profound than she were prepared for.

"It's different." Neville concurred with a sickening pallor.

"Bloody well looks the same to me." Alicia gawked in disbelief, "But then not."

"Are we on Earth in a different time or a different world altogether?" Blaise spluttered, clinging to Tracey in mutual comfort, "I half thought we were going to some Shangri-La like secreted away magical enclave, or series of them. Hoped it more like."

Fred, without an once of humour, spoke up, "We never really accepted it because we didn't have time. We needed out more than ponder space or time travel. Admit it, we knew this was likely all along by all the junk King Snake hoarded. We were afraid of getting stuck in a distant place with no easy way home, but had to get away from that room."

"And we got that in spades. All the evidence was there for us that this is what would happen, we just..." George tried to speak.

Angelina finished for him, "We knew but refused to think of it. Easier to imagine those strangers as humans from Earth than aliens. At least that's what I hoped."

Luna, whom was pointedly turned away from the sight of Parvati's marking Harry as owned property, gazed up at the moon and bourgeoning stars. Speaking in her airy way, she suggested something incredible. "This is Earth, just not our Earth. You can tell by the moon, and over there is Mars. It's the red one not twinkling."

"But the moon is strange Luna." reproved an exasperated Padma rubbed her eyes tiredly.

"Yes but then not so. Look at it. The Wizard's Face is still clearly there, just younger and gazing elsewhere." Luna shrugged, then happened to glance Harry's way for a fraction of a second. The waif sharply turned away with a forlorn sadness gleaming in her wide blue eyes.

Parvati had clearly taken offense at anyone snogging Harry besides herself. The East Indies witch was tightly wrapping herself around him, and glaring challengingly at every girl there, including her twin in that frosty stare. Receiving the message, Hermione thought about backing down but couldn't accept that outcome, not now. If she ever truly could have.

Harry Potter was her wizard. She had felt it in his embrace and mind-blowing kiss.

Shoving that aside for the moment, she took a deep breath while scanning the landscape about them, "Well wherever here is, we need shelter and fire. It's getting late."

"Accio Fish!" Blaise cast at the stream suddenly, startling them all. However a mid-sized troat came flying out of the water at him. Trying to grab it, the Slytherin wizard caught it in the face with a resounding wet "Whap!"

Tracey hit it with a levitation charm as it and it's initial captor flopped about, "Food! And I don't even care if it is raw fish. I'm starving."

None of them did as it looked a kingly feast in their famished eyes.

Setting up a fire and building a quick shelter didn't take very much with the right spells. In addition to the first, they summoned caught two more fish. Not much of a grand meal, but three were by far more than only a jar of deadly canned stone fruits. Helping in filling them was blessedly cold fresh water in comparison to their sterile conjured sort. Now if only they knew where they had wound up at if this was not their earth.

In smiling pairs the groups unofficial couples started to wander off from the campsite once the meal was only a memory. How each set would share eager grins, the lot were all seeking some long hoped for privacy. Unfortunately among this number was a quiet Harry and Parvati, whom had been silent since their stimulating arrival here. Loathing herself for causing her dear best friend trouble from her kissing him, Hermione watched them slip out of the firelight. Unbidden thoughts of marching out and trying to force him to choose herself over the far prettier Parvati troubled her.

Biting back bile that had risen in her throat, she observed her current compatriots in the unenviable world of singleshood. Only Neville of all the wizards had stayed. Forlornly the fellow had also watched Parvati and Harry slowly gravitate towards the darkening woods. As for the witches it was Padma, Daphne, Ginny, and Luna to join Hermione's mournful attendance of the flickering yellow and orange flames.

None spoke or acknowledged the rest. They just stared into the entrancing little fire, seeking comfort in its burning smokey depths. Aside from the untamed forest surrounding their camp, a true silence weighed on each of them left by the fire in their breaking hearts. A group of lonely souls left forgotten on a world not their own.

A shriek of a girl's laughter from the night blackened forest grated on Hermione. Was it Parvati? Had Harry finally asked the girl to be his girlfriend, forsaking what his brainy muggleborn friend could offer him?

"Someone's happy... That's nice." Luna sighed with an audible lump.

Daphne actually preened in victory, "That was Tracey. I bet Blaise just made them official. About time too. Who knew that finding ourselves Slytherin's true followers would give him the courage to completely defy Snape and Draco the Wonder Ferret." The painfully gorgeous Slytherin then leaned into Ginny at the last, both _purebloods_ stared out where Harry had last been seen. Anxious worry etched their faces.

Easing herself up Padma, moved to sit beside Neville. Taking obvious care to not startle the tender hearted wizard as she eased in very close to him. When he looked up finally the Ravenclaw acted as if they had been sitting this way all along.

"We can't stay up here forever. Where do we go now Hermione?" Ginny asked with a sly smile for Daphne for some reason. "Do you think our own Earth could give us a clue which direction to try traveling"

Unhappy at not being in on whatever Ginny was smug about, Hermione pursed her lips before answering, "Well we need to know if there is a trail down from here. If there is, I assume it will lead us to civilization. If it exists."

Darkening at that last, but refraining from saying a word, Neville stoked the fire a bit viciously. Doing so sent sparks flying everywhere.

Glumly Hermione added, "If anything it will tell us what transpired here."

The whole lot of them had secretly hoped they would find teachers here waiting in a utopia.

Crackling and snapping their fire burned hot, happily holding back the night's all consuming darkness. On a whim to stop from brooding Hermione tried to cast a simple fire charm, one of her best and first spells, _"Incarnum Inflamara."_

Nothing happened. Disappointed, she tried once more with a pout from failing something. For all her effort she ended up with the same result. Scowling she thrust her hands out in a third attempt that only served to earn her an audience of all there. Stopping at their looks she sighed in rare defeat of ever mastering a spell almost immediately upon her first few tries.

"Well we know it's not an ambient ability now." Padma noted logically, "A good sign that for teaching others back home."

Rustling in the under brush announced the return of the Weasley Twins with the beatific smiling Angelina and Alicia. All four were glowing for that matter as they sat just off to the side, clearly wishing to remain apart from everyone else. Judging by how decidedly mussed the quartet looked, it had been an entertaining discussion out in the concealing foliage.

Tossing another log onto the fire, Neville glowered out into the forest. His eyes were haunted, growing more so when he caught her looking off that way as well. It was hard to tell but she could have sworn he was blushing, but it could have been the firelight's ruddy hued glow. Though sweet, he wasn't her type, and she deeply wished he would one day see that. Unfortunately ever since she had volunteered to help him track down and capture his escape artist toad, he'd been crushing hard on her. Not even her hitting him with a _petrificus totalus_ fazed his puppy dog adoration. In fact it may have amplified it she feared.

Delicately Hermione stood and stretched. It wouldn't be wise for her to encourage him further. Making to step out from the smokey confines of the fire's reddish halo of light and warmth she was stunned that both Ginny and Daphne popped up as well. The former reached down and took the equally startled sad eyed Luna by the hand and pulled her up too.

"We're going for a walk. If not back in a bit Neville, give us a yell." Hermione's red headed friend gave a gobsmacked Padma a tiny wink, "Remind him for us will you Pads."

Parvati's twin opened her mouth in protest, a glimmer of anguish at being left out shown in her eyes. That vanished when Daphne made a small nod towards the oblivious wizard by the sitting girl.

"Oh... uh... yes? Oh yes I will. Have fun?" The pretty Ravenclaw blurted out hesitantly.

"You too." Daphne grinned impishly with a satisfied nod.

What were Ginny and Daphne playing at here?

Given only a passing chance to ponder the pair's actions, Hermione was finding herself pulled out of the firelight's glow. Daphne and Ginny, with Luna still in tow, took one of the brunet's hands apiece before marching her away. Behind them she heard Padma softly question Neville, "I heard from you're Gran that you're excellent with plants. What... What type of trees are all these here?"

Drawn farther out from camp than she felt comfortable with, Hermione didn't get to hear his answer. Momentary anger at being near bodily dragged away for an as yet unknown reason almost had her lay into the giggling duo. That is till she realized it was not bad to be away. What with not having to break poor Neville's heart.

Hooting, an owl challenged the quartet of witches invading it's peaceful home. Besides it there was only the light chilly breeze stirring the branches of the tall straight trees. A languorous quiet peace made speaking feel close to sinful. This was not the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts where silence was an act of self preservation, but a truly safe and normal ancient woodland. But the four friends were teenage girls unburdened by eaves droppers, speech was as natural as breath for them.

"We were afraid you were never going to leave." Ginny said while squeezing her hand.

"Why?" Hermione blurted out in uncomprehending worry, "What was I doing wrong?"

Daphne squeezed her other hand before letting go, "It's not really you, but it is. Not that any girl, witch or muggle, has utter control of such things. Boys being daft as they naturally are, a witch can't be at fault for this. Well unless she's one of those sorts who encourage it."

Perplexed even more now, Hermione was about to speak when they heard a twig snap and a pair of footsteps coming their way. Panicked the four witches pulled their wands out. Well Luna patted around for hers till Ginny plucked it out from behind the inattentive seeming blond's ear, then handed it over silently. Now armed all four waited and listened in dread. However when they heard the coming pair's voices they dashed into hiding.

"Harry, do you think we will find all we hoped to find here?" Parvati spoke softly.

There was a long pause till he answered that, "I don't know Par. It's all coming so fast. I feel we're just digging a hole and burying ourselves deeper. I'm worried about those strangers. What if they do something and we didn't warn people in time? But then how could we warn anyone let alone save ourselves? We only had one way to go, and now we're here. Possibly forever."

There was a few crunching steps and the sound of a rock being thrown violently against a tree. "I feel so bloody useless. I'm some helpless git and... and responsible for us being here at all."

"Harry Potter! You are not the one responsible. We just got caught up in a series of bad situations. One I- One I'm very glad of in some very important ways." Parvati sternly yelled at the daft boy quietly. "So just stop blaming yourself."

"Glad of? Why are yo-?" that was cut off by a surprised grunt followed by a pair of moans. Hearing these made Hermione's heart crack and be washed away in jealousy.

She knew she should be happy for her best friend, but then again it should be her he was kissing once more. Afraid to move and be discovered- thus risking getting her three compatriots caught as well- she endured her pain and stayed hidden.

"Merlin Par! A bloke can get used to that, but now I do see why you're glad. I am too, but I still think it best we keep this casual for now. I'm liable to hurt you as likely as not. That kiss I shared with Hermione unlocked something in me. When she kissed me at the dance I felt it a bit, but I still want you too. I really want you. If Angelina hadn't stopped me back in the Chamber I'd have asked you, but then..."he was speaking with a voice cracking in heart rending emotion. Yet as much as she yearned to comfort him as she always had, Hermione wished nothing more than to cheer his words.

Her heart had tumbled down into a depths less pit when Parvati had marked Harry as all but owned. However his confession had sent her soul soaring straight out of that abyss. Their kiss had meant something more than excitement for him too!

Parvati spoke with determination in her musical voice, "We'll work it out Harry. I want us to work it out, so we'll take it slow. But tell me is it just Hermione you fancy besides myself? I have to know. I won't be mad. Well I will- am mad, but understand. We're in a strange world without much hope of finding out the secrets of the Ancients or ever getting home. You're scared to do something rash and I accept it for now. Just- just don't shut me... shut us out."

There was another lengthy pause that began to be filled by the mewled moans of Parvati and rustles of clothes, then Harry panted in a soft firmness, "I could never shut you out. As for who I fancy outside of you and Hermione?" He left that off like a pleading question to not push him to answer her request.

"Please Harry I need to know." Par urged with more kissing noises.

Finally he broke down and responded, "Truth is I don't know for sure. I fancied Padma for a time but then she distanced herself from me for some reason. It..." he was cut off by a nearby howl of a wolf. "Bugger, I think we need to head back."

Just one more please. With it private like this- It's so much more sweeter." Parvati begged in a silky purr, and was rewarded by the sounds of it as the East Indies witch was making little noises that raised the hackles on Hermione.

A tug on her brown woolen dress' sleeve made her turn in a near yelp to see Daphne urging her to follow. They did need to get back, preferably before Harry and Parvati.

With another primal far off howl of a wolf, the quartet scurried back. Only Hermione wanted to howl in a need to rejoice. Harry fancied her!

Coming near to the camp Ginny whispered to her, "Well that was one small victory Hermione."

Insects and night birds filled the dark night with sound. After what must have been a couple of weeks at least in Salazaar Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets without a single bit of ambient noise aside from the snoring, talking, or occasional nightmare- they were having difficulty sleeping. Part was the strange newness of life somewhere else than the world they once called home. Mostly though it had come from being keyed up about their quest in finding the truth of the Ancients, and that lots way of using magic.

In Hermione's case there was added the giddiness of learning Harry did indeed fancy her. Logic tried to point out that he was still most likely going to be Parvati's beau, and that she was the intruding other woman here. Withstanding that bout of conscience took clinging to the knowledge that he was not truly committed to just the Gryffindor Patil by his declaration that he fancied Hermione as well. Knowing this left her in a dizzying whirl of emotions. This built a wild freed hope as natural as the strange world about them. Encouraged by it she took a daring chance for a change, instead of playing it safe as she had with Ron.

Following her heart led her to being cuddled into Harry's back, even resisting the withering glare Parvati leveled her way. For once in Hermione's life, she was enjoying being a girl instead of hiding from it. With the sound of Harry's breathing and his warm body pressed against her, she remembered what her mother kept telling her.

 _"If a woman wants to have a chance at a balanced happy life, she must recognize she's human and woman. After that, understanding what she truly wants and needs comes easier to see. It's not a crime to become emotional now and then Hermione. Having feelings is not betraying one's intellect. Accepting you're feminine doesn't rob you of being independent and strong._ " _her mother told her just an hour prior to her boarding the Knights Bus to go to the Weasley's that summer for the World Cup._

She has found her love, and he was there all the time. It was liberating to be more than someone's personal life assistant or kick dog.

Snuggling into Harry, sleep eventually overtook her excited mind. Along with it came dreams of her and him as a couple. Nice visions of a nice home with a lovely garden that their mob of even lovelier children romped freely through. With Harry laughing and joking among their many friends as he worked a huge grill full of succulent meats. As for her, she would be the epitome of the charming hostess setting out the sides and drinks just as her mother does back home. There were Christmases gathered around trimmed trees that their army of little ones swarmed over for presents and tasty treats from Honeydukes. This was the type of life she once envisioned for her and Ron, but then he consistently fell far too short of the man she'd wish to share her life with. This effected her dreams of the boy, where they were now rarely failing to end up in pain as he remained the immature boy that treated her as if she was merely a mobile doll to cater to his every need.

Soft lips brushing her forehead awoke her. It was early and Harry had rolled over to where he cradled her and Parvati both. His warm intelligent green eyes were regarding her with quiet concern. Parvati was as well, and with less bitterness than the night before. Her housemate's hand slid across Harry's chest to rub Hermione's shoulder consolingly.

"Morning, Hermione. Are you okay? You had been crying in your sleep." he whispered so as to not wake the others. "You woke us up by it in fact, but that's okay. Both of us care for you."

Her mind began to gibber in panic. What could she say? "Just a... a nightmare is all."

"Well as everyone keeps telling me. Your safe with us." he laughed quietly. "Just remember that. Now I think I should catch us some fish. It's not much but food is food, and we should be for getting down out of these mountains before winter blows in. That or build us a cabin up here to weather it."

Feeling particularly brave, she kissed his cheek quickly, "As tempting as the cabin sounds, we do have work to do. Parvati would you help me with breakfast? I saw some corriander inthe ingredients we brought, it might make the fish more satisfying."

Nodding then fully kissing Harry, with a hint of challenge back in her eyes, Parvati whispered, "There were some dried watercress as well. And that bird out there is eating those berries, we can hope they're safe to eat for us as well. Harry my love, before you get too caught up in summoning fish we'll need wood for the fire. Oh and watch for some tree nuts, these are pines. Neville and Pads told me they were, so we might get lucky there."

Smirking as he wriggled up to get out, he put on a harried expression, "Yes dears."

That stopped them both with bright blushes. While they were stunned he hugged them both and slipped out of the enclosure. Glancing at her rival and friend Hermione let out a tiny stifled giggle, "We did sound awful didn't we?"

"Dreadfully yes, but he's still going to get it later, the great prat." snickered Parvati with an eye roll.

Slipping out behind him, both girls set to work trying to get the camp ready for breakfast. "Parvati, I... I know he 's..." Hermione began to say after a time.

"I know. I've known for ages you fancy him Hermione. To tell the truth everyone expected you two to become a couple. That or Ron would manage to send you around the twist." Parvati's voice was strained as she turned away from Hermione. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to just give him up to you. You see I started growing to like him fist year when he stood up to that plonker Draco for Nev's sake. Now that I've managed to get his attention, I'll never let him go easily. I was terrified he'd let that toerag Ron ruin all of our Yule Balls but he didn't so I'm even more mad for him than I had been. To me, he's mine."

"I realize that. I do." sighed Hermione sadly as she cleaned last night's plates in frigid water, "And I won't give up on him either."

"He is rather nice." Luna spoke up as she returned from the forest with a load of sticks floating barely above the ground in front of her. The tiny odd blond's wand was held more like a magical leash for the hovering wood than that of a highly valuable tool. "I fell for him myself. He has such tender eyes and strong arms. Do you think this is enough wood for breakfast and warmth? It is a bit chilly this morning and I am so dreadfully hungry. Too bad we won't have any pudding."

"We may need more but Harry is out getting it Luna. Why don't you start some hot water. We're all out of tea, but the steamy hot water wouldn't go amiss." Hermione directed their gentle little friend.

"We had tea?" Parvati asked in longing, "When did we have tea? I'm left out of everything."

"Not a single leaf since before the Yule Ball." Hermione sighed in commiseration, "Though I wonder if some of that cinnamon would flavor our water nicely."

"Lets not use it yet." Parvati sighed in reluctance, "We might want it later."

Luna gazed off towards the sunrise, "We will. I'm afraid we won't be going home for a long time. It feels funny here, as if something big is about to occur."

"Name the devil much?" Alicia yawned as she stumbled over. "Though I think we put our foot in it here. Anyone notice that there are no contrails? I don't know if this is such an out of the way place, but even Hogwarts has them cris-crossing the whole sky some days."

Looking up Hermione felt a renewed worry about the possible fact that no one may remain alive to teach them the secrets of the Ancients. A horrifying thought, but if this was like Earth, then why were they not using airplanes by now? It's been a thousand plus years since Slytherin has walked this valley.

Returning with wood for the fire, Harry smiled at them. With a hug for her and Parvati he then left with the other boys trailing a step or two behind him. All four of whom had just crawled out into the gilded predawn light. Each of them had strapped on a weapon or two. From Harry's raven hilted sword and raven headed mace, to Neville whom carried one of the scary looking poleaxes and a simple short sword. Only Blaise seemed to know what to do with his instrument of physical violence, claiming a saber is almost like a rapier he learned to fence with.

"I hope they don't hurt themselves with their toys." Daphne gritted her teeth while watching the lot trot off. "Boys get silly around sharp pointy things."

The statement had each of the girls touching their own more defensive daggers. A concession to the worried male members of the expedition. Hermione's own was a bodice dagger that had exquisite waves for a cross guard and a white tear drop pommel stone as a center point to the waves. Normally she loathed the idea of physical confrontation but Harry adamantly made her and the other girls pick one at least. Well all aside from Angelina, Alicia, and Ginny whom all three had picked up weapons on their own volition.

Quicker than any of them we're ready, the morning was long past and they still had yet to leave. Valid points of need and planning had to be settled to everyone's satisfactions. One being which of the extra symbols could be the one to transport them back home. Of those six only three existed here, or possibly two as one was weather worn. In fact nearly one and all of the markings were different the entire way along. Also worrisome was if they should carry or hide their wands. To which they decided to hide them for fear of what the rules on magic users were on this alternate Earth. It was better to be safe than sorry. Lastly they agreed their wooden tent enclosure was too valuable to lose, so they worked out another bag for carting it along with them.

It was after midday when they set off down an old goat trail Harry and Parvati found the night before. A blessing about this path was how it hugged the creek's bank. Outside of the gift of ease in catching fish for their meals, the creek's cool water helped them sooth their aching feet. None of them were used to walking long distances. Hiking was even worse on them in their new to them magically preserved footwear. Sore tender feet had them pausing more and more often to let them rest. That first night of hiking, after a meal of two fish and some wild onions, none of them wandered from camp for romantic interludes. Nor for the next week or two of nights after. It hurt too badly to think of such.

The trip was growing daunting, and twice they were forced to backtrack up to their first trail or another as it became clear those were wrong ways to travel. Grumbled desires for the Hogwarts Express or Knights Bus were made by all of them. For the broom ride enthusiasts among them, dreams of flight had them wistfully watching the still contrail bereft skies above. It was also uncomfortably cold in Hermione and the other girls' opinion. What with only long skirts that snagged every branch or were sucked down by mud or water, forcing them to hike up their hems to avoid such. However once up, the chilly mountain air came rushing up to their nethers in frigid gusting blasts. Every single witch of them mutinously watched the boys waltzing about in their snug breeches and barely resisted urges to hex the lucky blighters.

On they pushed though. Even if they had to finally abandoned the creek trail for another set of game trails. All of them were keeping sharp eyes out for food now. Hermione, whom was repairing a badly torn sleeve with her wand, even hit a squirrel with a petrification charm as it dove for some cover. Neville's love for plant lore helped them fill in the gaps between meatier meals. After a time, they had learned some basics in survival just out of trial and error. No matter the hardships facing them they persevered as best they could.

Eventually they came across signs of civilization. Well the remnants of it, as the giant ruin must have been long deserted judging by the uncountable centuries worth of tree growth and weathering on the stone work detritus. What caught their eyes most about the thing was its similarities to the memories of the Ancients they had witnessed. A wind had picked up and forced them to give up gawking in favor of seeking shelter within the broken remnants of a past none of them knew. It was humbling to walk the clearer paths inside, just as it provided them a moments respite from the biting wet gusts.

"It's as big as Hogwarts, as it is. But look at it! I think it must have been bigger, and far more elegant. This bas-relief is incredibly detailed. I can almost smell the sea air just looking at it." Blaise commented appreciatively while they huddled around a small fire they had managed to enchant in spite of the damp wood they built it from.

Icy sleet mixed in with the freezing rain denied them a chance to hunt for drier kindling or a more enclosed shelter. Thankfully the largest percentage of the gale force winds had been abated by the three remaining two and a half walls lee side. Group warmth kept them protected more than the acrid smoke laden fire.

Blaise's excitement at the discovery of this place bubbled in his voice, "We have to learn their secrets. I'm tired of all the brooding heavy gloom Hogwarts showcases."

"Hogwarts has beauty." Hermione defended their medieval fortress turned school. "You just need to look deeper is all. It's subtle things, but they're all around."

"True, but you have to admit he's right, Hermione. Dear old Hoggy Hogwarts is a touch grim." George chattered out as they huddled down nearer the flames as a gust cut it's way around to them.

"It's the whole style the Founders were after. Avalon in the rugged highlands type of thing." Fred added while wrapping up with Angelina.

"They failed though." Harry shivered as he drew her and Parvati into him protectively. "I don't see King Arthur having stairs that randomly move on a whim or steps that are not really there."

They all laughed in misery at that. Not having time to forage or catch something they just set their magically reinforced glass jar to heating the water. Hermione went ahead and added a stick of cinnamon to it. This wasn't much, yet it would help ease their gnawing hunger a fraction. Doling out the piping hot herbal tea in varied sized unused specimen jars, Harry made certain the lot had equal portions. All of the sojourning teens greedily cradled the spiced drink for it's dual use of warmth and dinner.

A conversation arose from what the place might have once been, and if Salazaar Slytherin knew of the place. Looming over the weary band was the fear that the boys had been right all along and war had destroyed all vestiges of civilization.

Taunting Hermione was the thoughts that they may be the only humans alive on this alternate Earth. Did they make a fatal mistake in coming here?

"Hello there. You look cold standing out there in your funny cloak. Do come in, it's warmer by the fire." Luna spoke suddenly, startling everyone. The tiny blond was staring beyond the Weasley Twins shoulders, towards the way the group had came into their shelter.

Whipping about, Hermione's hand frantically sought her wand, now safely tucked away in her personal bag. She gasped at the sight of a man wearing an eye twisting cloak of indeterminate colouring. Silently regarding them, his stance was that of a coiled cobra ready to strike at any untoward movement. Funnily she would swear he was just as stunned at his discovery as they were his presence.

Gliding in from behind him was a willowy woman whom held an air of graceful dignity only McGonagall or Madam Maxime ever displayed in Hermione's personal experience. Well outside the Queen, but then she was grace incarnate. However the shocks were far from being done as the woman flipped back her elegant cloak's hood.

Everyone of the teenage adventurers gasped at what they saw. She was grey headed but had a smooth face that belonged to a woman just a bit older than Angelina or Alicia were. On her hand glittered a golden ring that had been sculpted to resemble a snake eating its own tail.

The man tried to stop her but she gave him a calm look that had him back down reluctantly. Once he had stepped aside, she proceeded to approach them. Examining them with a subtle flick of her wise eyes, they were graced with a warm regal smile that grew on her too young of lips. When she met the eyes of the witches specifically this slight twitch of a smile blossomed wider. Her firm voice spoke in the language of those strangers back at Hogwarts.

At their hearing that, the teens grew confused and alarmed. Witnessing this the woman's consternation was palpable. Mr. Jumpy behind her tensed.

Harry settled the impasse by sipping his water and offering it to her with a calm, "Welcome, do please join us."

It was her turn to be confused, but her companion took the drink, sipped it, and nodded to her. She just smiled wider as she took a seat in Harry's vacated spot between Parvati and Hermione. Her eyes were twinkling with glee as she met Hermione's shocked look.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Nor am I in any part connected to or making money from the great Rolling Stones.

Chapter Eight: Desperadoes Waiting for a Train

Standing off to the side watching the new comers, Harry and Neville weighed the couple. Yes Harry welcomed them in, but it had been five days now and the duo acted as if the woman was in charge of them all. Treating the boys as second class citizens only good for gathering wood and tending camp. Of course the Weasley Twins ignored that completely, and Blaise was almost as bad with him slipping into full on Slytherin mode. That left Harry and Neville to deal with everything. An arrangement that put Harry's teeth on edge.

On top of that, he had somehow became the leader of their little band. Which the ever so infuriating stranger woman had picked up on and seemed all to glad to crush. That or make him miserable till he bowed down and groveled for her. Topping this was the aggravation she had somehow convinced the girls into trooping back up into the mountains towards the pillar.

When he argued against this, the whole lot of witches aligned behind Parvati whom stated firmly, _"We just feel we should stay near Kaliandra Sedai. She has something about her that we need. We all feel it."_

"Bloody mess is what." he growled, causing Neville to shrug noncommittaly, "And why is she smiling at me again? I'm going to do my nut if this goes on much longer."

"Easy mate, you've been burning a hole in her since we stopped today. She has a right to look your way too." Neville suggested calmly, "She reminds me of my Gran. Women like her just take no as not an answer at all."

Harry leveled his mate with a dark look for that.

"We have to learn how to use magic like the Ancients, not be footmen for unknown women." Harry growled in frustrated anger, "Otherwise we'll have failed everyone at Hogwarts."

Snorting in resignation Neville walked away to set up the enclosure. Without magic the work was far more tedious. Plus they now had to hide their extended bags. None fancied giving away their ability to use magic. Not yet at least, or ever if things continued to go the way that it was.

Feeling guilty about not helping his friend, Harry got up and joined Neville in the struggle to erect the bloody enclosure. Fred and George soon ambled over as well after a dual pair of withering looks from Angelina and Alicia. With four sets of hands helping the work didn't take long. For not using magic that is.

After it was done, Blaise graciously decided to bless them with his presence. "We could just..." he wiggled a finger meaningfully. "It wouldn't take all that long and if we're sly about it, these muggles will never know."

"No." Harry growled a bit harshly, "We're on dangerous ground here as it is. Are they muggles, or magicals out hunting for our sorts. Just what we need to do is let them know we're filthy Stick Shakers. Might as well pack it all in now and try for home, if we could even make it."

Hermione and Padma we're trying once more to learn how to communicate with the irritating old besom. All of the girls tried eagerly, and the woman just beamed at them more for it. Just one more reason she got under Harry's skin by how she reacted to the silly witches' efforts.

"Who do you think they truly are?" Blaise inquired while keeping an eye on the man.

A real trick that as he could slip in and out of the group without being noticed. With the exception of Luna who, for all her dottiness, noticed most things others missed. Then again she also seemed to inhabit a whole other plane of existence compared to the rest of them.

Glaring over at the pair, Harry gritted out, "Trouble I'd wager. They don't care a knut about us. It's the girls they're after, funny thing is the girls don't see that. Great ruddy lot of silly bints they'll feel if they get us all caught up into trouble."

"That's birds mate." George laughed, but only half heartedly.

"Blame it on us more than like though." Fred corrected Harry.

Biting back an irritated comment, Harry half snarled, "If we'd had brooms, then we could have left the pillar and been gone from here. Before Kaliandra Sedai and her mute found us. We need teachers not this return trip to where we came from."

"Well as we're stopped here why don't we get back to me teaching you lot how to use those meat cleavers you're carrying. But considering how brutish you lot are, they'll have to do." Blaise offered with a tired pop of his neck. "It's that or continue being ignored by the ladies. Tracey and Daphne act as if we're barking about our two guests."

"You lot go ahead. I have to make certain of some things." Harry cooly strode over towards the girls. "I'm going to take away the temptation to show Slytherin's notes to that woman. I refuse to just let the girls toss the keys to Hogwarts over to Kaliandra Sedai."

"Good luck on that mate." Blaise barked in laughter.

"Be careful, Harry. The girls may take it the wrong way." Neville worried.

"They will." Fred grimly wagered.

"It's what birds do." George concurred.

Waving that off Harry strolled over and glared at the challenging look Kaliandra Sedai gave him. Growling his defiance back in her face knowing she wouldn't understand, "You're not cowing me ma'am. Not like you have my friends." Then he turned on the girls who were wearing looks ranging from indignation to being gobsmacked. He didn't care just then. "Don't give her a hint of our origin. She might try to steal Slytherin's notes, and we have too much to worry about as it is."

"Potter, that was very rude what you said to Kaliandra Sedai." Tracey scolded him, "She didn't deserve that."

"To tell the truth, I could care less Tracey. She is untrustworthy as far as I can tell. I don't know who she truly is and she is far too keen on following our back trail." Harry coldly replied, "We have to go get teachers, not be falling all over ourselves for a strange woman we can't even understand or trust."

Sniffing in disdain most of the witches try to level him with icy sharp looks, to which he simply snorted, "Those don't work on me. My aunt wears one like that whenever she sees me."

"Do you think we're daft Harry? Of course we know we can't tell her anything." Alicia retorted hotly. He could nearly feel the scorching heat in her words.

Rubbing his scarred forehead, he sighs in exasperation. "I know you're not daft on the whole. But of all us here, I am the only one of us that is immune to being Imperiused. Whereas you lot are fawning and simpering over this strange woman as if she were some goddess incarnate. Just think for a change like I know you can normally."

Without solving anything he left the gathering of witches. He wished to not prolong the argument any further. As it were he'd likely end up cuddled up to a tree the coming night or more. If he judged the looks on the girls faces right.

Badgered by these thoughts, he stormed over to rejoin his mates. As he neared them he drew out his mace and gave it a few angry, rough swings. What he wanted to do was ride his broom and possibly play some Quidditch. To unlimber and let the air fly past him as he searched out the Snitch. By how angry he felt right then, he'd enjoy tricking his opposing Seeker into plowing a furrow in the Pitch.

"Didn't go well I take it." Blaise smirked impishly as he tried to get Neville to take a proper stance before teaching him anything else, "We tried to warn you."

Crossing his eyes in disgust, Harry snapped back in retort, "Oh they claim to understand, but still act as if we're not being hauled back to the pillar. Besides that, it looks as if our teachers are all stuck in the ruddy dark ages."

"True, but if they can open the door, we can do the rest." Blaise chortled dryly.

For a bit they muddled through learning how to fight with melee weapons. Fred and George were better suited to their maces, most likely from their natural Beater abilities. Poor Neville was hesitant to actually learn, almost seeming as if afraid of it. Tonight Harry was too distracted, though of all the Gryffindors he was the only one to hold his own against the professionally trained Blaise.

Hardly making a sound, the almost mute companion of Kaliandra Sedai, walked over to observe them for a time. For an old balding geezer, he had grace and agility to be able to move as he did. All the boys agreed the fellow was old, but not someone to take lightly. Professor Moody kind of had that air, and in a way so did Snape. Yet they paled in comparison to the near mute.

While Blaise was correcting Harry's stance for parrying, their observer strode over and then modeled a better way to stand. Effectively stopping the wizards' practice. Hesitantly Harry and Neville copied the fellow's stance. After a shocked second or two so too did Fred, George, and Blaise. When they did the man grunted and began to instruct them in their chosen weapons.

Getting to bed that night, Harry prepared to set off from the girls. However Luna had waited up for him and dragged him into where his usual place was without a word. She did hug him before Parvati gave him a cool look and opened her arms.

"Where do you think your sleeping mister mine? Now hurry up and lay down I'm cold." she ordered shortly, once he had she snuggled into him, "There! This is where you belong. Even if you are a ruddy great prat."

He had to admit to himself that this was his preferred sleeping arrangement.

"You will need a bath sometime soon though." Parvati sniffed contemptuously.

"He is a bit rank." Daphne complained teasingly.

On the whole he could have done without all that. Especially as he would never mention they were no spring roses either.

Four more days of this idiotic back tracking went on, even at Harry's staunch opposition to it. Four days of grueling hiking and dealing with being ignored by Kaliandra Sedai aside from menial labour. Thankfully her companion Therell didn't treat the boys this way. On the contrary he began working on teaching them not only combat arts, but tracking and wood lore as well. Even let Angelina, Alicia, and Ginny participate when they wished.

If only they could speak to each other easier. Rudimentary basics were learned on both sides, but not much more. However it was better than the simple point and grunt of their first couple days traveling together. Harry just feared what would happen when their two guests discovered where the Hogwarts students were from.

A lone eagle cried forlornly overhead in the morning. Hearing its echoing screeching call gave Harry a shiver. A chill that had him glance at his companions. When he saw the ever aggravating Kaliandra Sedai, she was weighing him with a slightly quirked eyebrow. Biting back an urge to yell at the accursed woman, he stood and strolled out of camp. Hoping distance would take out the gnawing hate he knew would lead to him doing something rash. He swore that was what the woman wanted, so he resisted to spite her.

Therell had already set out early as per the old fellow's routine. Annoyingly this routine also included rousing them all to have everything ready for the grey haired harpy. For such a dignified and capable man, Therell was eager to demean himself for Kaliandra Sedai's every whim. It made Harry wonder what the shrew had over such an impressive man.

Out among the trees away from that woman, Harry allowed himself to think and feel again. Safe from letting loose on the guest he inadvisedly invited in. Losing his temper wouldn't aid his group's chances to succeed. Most likely it would lead them to harm.

Breathing deep of the loamy cold mountain air, he felt a liberating cleansing that washed away the troubles he was struggling with. Being the boy in the broom cupboard did not allow him to become overly sanguine about small moments like this. A slice of time where a gentle breeze and a rich abundance of pure living timberland held back the darkness of his whole life. No acromantulas or psychotic dark wizard wraiths, just a few twittering birds and an angrily chittering squirrel.

"Hogwarts isn't defenseless." a quiet gentle voice caused him to yelp in alarm.

Turning he saw Luna observing the enraged nut grabber chittering down at them. A long thin ray of sunlight caught her hair, creating a golden glow. A sight that made his mind slow for some reason, "What? Uh... Luna did you not see the same things the rest of us saw? Ancients can do things even Slytherin and the other Founders couldn't comprehend. A band of them in Hogwarts is terrible."

"If they mean harm, yes. But then are they?" she smiled at the now dismayed squirrel as she held out a nut for it, "Not everyone is an enemy, but that doesn't make us understand them anytime soon."

Their rodent visitor gave in and scurried over to snag the offered gift. Snatching it, the tree crawling little thing shot away as if they would turn it into stew. Beaming at the tree where the squirrel vanished into, Luna reached out to Harry with a slight pale white hand and her wide inquisitive blue eyes. She didn't say a word, just inviting him to accept her with her eyes. As angry as he had been moments before at all the witches for treating the infuriating Kaliandra Sedai as some saint, he felt calmer staring at the tiny Luna's open waiting hand. Hesitantly he took it into his, and felt his moment of serenity strengthen.

What was it about the seemingly helpless girl that made him wish to protect and care for her? It wasn't fair. He was rightfully mad at the lot of them!

"You think I'm being unreasonable with our guest?" he asked quietly.

"Yes, moderately so. But you've never been given a chance to trust others, so it's not surprising. We can work on that though, It'll be a project of ours." she petted his arm. "You are too nice to let go to waste."

Strolling hand in hand back to camp, they didn't say another word, only enjoyed each others presence. Awash in her tender serenity, Harry didn't know what to even think about except that she was far deeper an individual than what others could initially see.

Back in camp the rest of the teens had finished breaking down the place. Even Blaise had been lending a hand to Neville with the enclosure for a change. Part of that may have been Tracey and Daphne leveling cool looks the boy's way.

"There you are mate." George said as they made certain the fire was fully out.

Fred who was holding a bucket of water winked at Harry, "Have fun out there?"

"Yes we did . I fed a squirrel." Luna airily giggled. "He was reluctant to accept things but I changed his mind." She then smiled brighter and skipped away with a parting glance Harry's way.

Was she talking about the squirrel, or himself? He thought pensively as he helped out.

About finished up Therell rode in on his massive auburn warhorse. He barked something to Kaliandra Sedai that had her pinch her lips while glancing at Harry and company. Making a gathering motion she indicated they all group up around her and her horse. When Therell didn't move to join, she leveled him with a calm commanding gaze. One he merely shrugged off with a declining toned sentence. That did not sit well with the woman as she made a tiny sniff.

Therell turned to Harry and barked two words the man insisted the wizards learned. "Danger. Protect." Two words that gave Harry a cold dread. With those words the man rode off unlimbering his sword and shrugging his eye wrenching cloak over him.

With the man gone, the indomitable seeming Kaliandra Sedai made a hand gesture over them all and a hard wind scoured the area. With it the groups tracks were erased. Also the fire pit was doused so well it could have been unused for weeks. But that was not what amazed him most, that honour went to when a group of eight men in white and shining armour rode in. None of them noticed the huddled group. Not even a man dressed in similar fashion save an embroidered red shepard's crook worked into his cloak and the golden suns the other men all wore on their cloaks and breastplate.

A near mania glowed in the red crook man's face. Here was someone to fear. Uncle Vernon bore a look like that when dealing with Harry, but he was only in charge of Harry. This bloke was not so constrained. With Kaliandra Sedai's use of Ancient magic, Harry had to adjust his view of this world.

Were magicals hunted here? Or was there still a war going on? Could they trust the woman, or were they only walking into a different trap?

Eventually the shining men left after a barked set of orders from red crook. Spreading out and searching frantically, they beat about the place for a bit. Then at a yell the lot, plus twelve more hidden fellows charged off to the north. But even with evidence the soldiers were gone, no one spoke or moved. Taking their que from the serenely calm Kaliandra Sedai, clearly she knew how to deal with men like this.

Finally after what felt like hours, Therell returned. A grim set to the man's jaw said that they were far from safe. At a question from the woman, the aged warrior grunted with a shake of his head. Therell said a bit more that had the pair watching Harry and his friends.

Snippily the woman made a command and they all left the camp in a hurry. At a glance for Neville who carried the enclosure, Harry suggested, "Lets lose that thing. I think we'll need to be able to run if we have to."

"I'll stow it in our bags later. We're not out of danger yet. If I drop the thing now those rotters might find it." Neville whispered in return, and he was good as his word on the way. With Therell gone and the girls talking with Kaliandra Sedai about what she'd done, Neville shoved it into his extended bag.

It was going to be colder nights for them, but hoisting the structure every night was not an option now. Survival was making them face harder choices before this, but it had been a comfortable thing. At least they yet lived.

Sirius' words came unbidden to Harry while they traveled, _"You don't always get what you want, but you sometimes get what you need."_ If they ever got home he'd have to find that song. It had proven itself true once more.

They had a teacher for the girls. Even if she was not who Harry would have hoped.

Sadly it also gave the girls an excuse to give him an "I told you so!" set of glares. One he returned with a, "I'm not sold just yet." one return.

Yet he was grateful that they were no longer returning to the pillar. Those questions could not be answered to the Hogwarts band's favor just yet. Without traveling towards the pillar, they would avoid that unpleasantness.

Now traveling down the mountains once more, they passed more ruins. Massive, towering statues, remains of fortresses or settlements, and most pleasant of all was a broken wide highway. It wasn't a patch on the best of England, but was far better to walk than the thin strips of goat and game trails.

On down the mountain, they marched with the calm stately Kaliandra Sedai seated upon her equally stately paced horse. Days rolled past after the initial fear of capture by those zealots had eased. Twice more those men had neared, but each time had been diverted by actions from Therell or Kaliandra Sedai. But now they were free for the moment. Now it was a mundane trip that grew a certain pacing.

For the wizards this meant endless nights of setting up and being taught by the stolid Therell how to fight, move silently, and survival tactics. For the girls it meant more and more spending time talking with Kaliandra Sedai. A flow to things that had Harry growing ever more agitated. Only he had to admit they had at least one teacher.

On they marched till they came to a town. Well what a medieval definition of the word would be. Sitting quietly sedate in a foothill valley, it may have held fifty homes in total. But it was the large two story building sitting off to the side of a large park full of grazing sheep and well, that was their destination. Out front of it were five men and one woman arguing vociferously. Everyone else in the town were milling about but discreetly so as to not be seen listening in. None of what was said made sense to the Hogwarts students beyond a word or two.

However Kaliandra Sedai's appearance had the locals scattering and the arguing group to snap shut and watch them all warily. Harry was worried there would be trouble, but the people just bowed and scraped. A squat heavy man with wild curly black hair and an impeccably white apron scurried to see to them. However he said something that made the woman eye him strangely.

Out of the building came three women and four men. All the women had faces similar to Kaliandra Sedai's, and the men resembled Therell in demeanor. The meeting was not at all friendly. These four women were acting like strange cats tossed into a cage and ready to shred each other into ribbons in his estimation. If said cats had attack dogs on leashes ready to do the same on a wink and a nod. Not a beautiful position to be in if you're an innocent bystander attached to one of the cats.

"Bugger me. I think we're in for a rough time. Lets not get used for sport here." Harry grumbled to his friends.

Daphne eyed the new, new comers and whispered, "They might not let us have a choice."

"Did we ever have a choice?" Parvati commented while taking Harry's hand.

Tracey strode up to the man with the apron to pantomime sleeping and a bath. Jingling her purse meaningfully. That had the man ask something, but Kaliandra Sedai cooly gave a command and soon he was bustling them off to tubs of steamily hot water and bricks of soap. Harry and his mates chuckled at the luxury they once took for granted.

"Well if we don't scrub up to some semblance of human we may end up kipping out in that park." Harry pointed with his thumb as he scratched an annoying itch that refused to stay satisfied.

"With separate rooms, does it really matter?" Blaise remarked, already stripping down, "We have rooms of our own, but we'll be happier for the lack of a funk. I'm pretty positive I will."

Neville raised a concern none of the others had thought of, "We will be kipping it with the horses. I counted nine rooms, we've seen three more of Kaliandra Sedai's sort here already. Plus four men like Therell. I don't see that lot bunking together. Also the girls will like as not get a room together. These people seem to revere witches, or maybe it's they fear them. So these women will like as not fear to let so many girls be out where some tosser can hurt them."

"Good thing we brought along the enclosure then." Fred chuckled darkly.

"Cheers to you Neville my friend as I'm positive it's about to rain." George gloomily joked.

Harry scrubbed himself pink and soaked up the warm water as best he could nonetheless. Glad of the fact he had a change of clothes waiting. As he soaked he thought of the girls, afraid of the witches getting twisted about by these cold women Ancients. It had been boiling and simmering away in his subconscious pondering for days now. Hearing Neville's thoughts dragged it to the fore of his worries. He'd seen four of this world's withes now, and each of them made his skin crawl. Plus he had to add the worry over why there were no wizards so far. Why wasn't one with those women here already?

Try as he might to relax, he just couldn't find that much peace.

While they scoured their skins clean, the boys were joined by Therell and two of the other men. Steam made it hard to see or breath but Harry could have sworn that these men were eying the wizards studiously. Tired of being a circus freak show, he slipped out after hastily dressing in his clean clothes that he'd thankfully already retrieved.

Out in the hall, he ran into a pretty girl loaded down with linens. The two of them made some apologies as he helped catch her before she fell and dirtied the clean whites. Flaming red hair and doe like green eyes amplified the effect of a stunning heart shaped face. He could almost swear he had seen this girl from somewhere by how captivating her eyes were. Eyes that were currently regarding him with a deep crimson blush on her cheeks. As much as he cursed himself for it, he found her very appealing right then. If only he didn't feel like he knew her from somewhere.

She said something in that ethereal language everyone they met here spoke. Shrugging, he replied in the best sentences he could muster, "Not speak. Not know. Speak other tongue."

That had her stare at him in confusion for a few seconds, then she turned on a brilliant smile to rival the sun, "I'll teach you." Demurely she blushed and sidestepped him, "...if stay." was all he understood of what she added over her shoulder.

Scratching his fuzzy chin in confusion, he set off for the main room full of tables. Rich smells of cooking meats and hot breads had his stomach hooked on a line that dragged him eagerly down the steps two at a time. So far, a fully satisfying meal had eluded him since coming to this world. Tonight promised to be different.

At the foot of the stairs, coming up were two of the witches that had met Kaliandra Sedai earlier. Both may have came from differing racial backgrounds, but they could have passed as twins by how they regarded Harry. A look that made him realize he only thought that Kaliandra Sedai was cold, cruel, and distant to him and the other wizards. These two acted as if he was akin to the slimy muck at the bottom of Snape's barrels. In fact it was the same look said greasy git held for him every time their paths crossed. As with the unbathed Potions Master, he'd show these two the same level of respect they earned from him.

In other words, none.

Glaring at them with the same disdain they bestowed on him, he refused to give ground. Which clearly they expected him to do, though they were taking up the path and were only a few steps up. Unlike him, who was nearly all the way down the stairs. Instead of obeying the pair's silent command, he decided that he was no longer in Hogwarts and they were not Snape. This cleared up in his mind, he kindly turned and side stepped through the fairly wide space between the duo to pop out into the lively Common Room. The pair were momentarily gobsmacked before recovering themselves enough to glare daggers into him. Rolling his eyes at their frigid stares, he put them out of his mind.

Judging by the looks of people watching, he must have been a right nutter to do that. Cursing his standing out, but tired of being shoved around by everyone, he did as he learned to do at Hogwarts in situations like these. Ignore them and try to make do the best he could.

An old man in a multi hued, patched into insanity cloak scrutinized him over an impressively thick white mustache as he tuned a harp. Digging into his small coin purse, Harry fished out a thick gold coin and flipped it to the man pantomiming at playing music. Followed by a begging gesture for good measure. He wanted to relax and not have an ounce of worry for a moment or two.

Catching the coin mid air the man eyed it and then Harry before making it disappear. Harry didn't know if it was his chunky plastic rimmed glasses or the eagle marked coin that stunned the fellow. However he finished tuning his harp and started to strum a note or two. Grinning Harry made a bowing thank you for the old fellow from his seat he found nearby, and let the jaunty tune that proceeded from the harp carry him emotionally away.

Timidly the pretty red head from earlier brought him a nice plate of food. A thick slice of roast beef smothered in gravy paired with a mound of peas with spring onions capped by a fat cut of butter melting into them. With this came a chilled mug of cider that could have doubled as a nice sized pitcher. Setting it all down in front of him she gave him a shy wink and a quick curtsy. Feeling grateful he dug out a couple gold coins for her and to pay for the food, which had her gobsmacked. But he just smiled and waved the rich smelling feast's heady scent into his nose with a pleasurable sigh.

Blushing crimson she giggled and took the coins.

Cutting himself a bite he moaned in delight as he took it all in. Maybe they could survive all this. He simply had to find the best people was all.


	10. Chapter 10

**Harry Potter and the Pattern of Fate Book 1**

By:

Sadsack77

Book 1 The Serpent's Truth: Truth about one founder is not what is taught. Did he see more and be more than taught? Harry and Co. are about to find out that the universe and magic is not what they've learned. Will they survive? Can they grow and return in time to save the school, world, and all they love? pro OOC Ginny(non-fanon or canon) Harry/Multi read AN for more warnings.

Rated: Fiction M - English - Romance/Adventure - Chapters: 28 - Words: 204,718 - Reviews: 65 \- Favs: 70 - Follows: 88 - Updated: Sep 15, 2015 - Published: Jun 10, 2015 - id: 11305290

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Prev 1. Chapter 1 2. Chapter 2 3. Chapter 3 4. Chapter 4 5. Chapter 5 6. Chapter 6 7. Chapter 7 8. Chapter 8 9. Chapter 9 10. Chapter 10 11. Chapter 11 12. Chapter 12 13. Chapter 13 14. Chapter 14 15. Chapter 15 16. Chapter 16 17. Chapter 17 18. Chapter 18 19. Chapter 19 20. Chapter 20 21. Chapter 21 22. Chapter 22 23. Chapter 23 24. Chapter 24 25. Chapter 25 26. Chapter 26 27. Chapter 27 28. Chapter 28 Next

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

 **Chapter Nine: Little Things**

Sitting at his wear polished table, eating his feast Harry found himself enjoying the music the harpist was strumming. Letting the music carry him away as the words were purely gibberish as far as he was concerned. Though that was not the case with the local patrons who were thrilled at it all. Or that's how Harry would call it as they sang along, or hooted in appreciation. These simple townsfolk were treating the old duffer like some mega-rock star giving a concert just for them.

Witnessing this had Harry wonder at how humans were always voracious connoisseurs of entertainment in their lives. Freedom from cares and stress was universal he wagered.

Joining him shortly were the other wizards. All eying his dwindling heaped up plate with unabashed longing. Though this condition didn't last long as he had the coyly smiling sweet red head running back and forth, loaded down with plates. In exchange for fat glimmering gold coins as well earned payment. It was probably too much, but he felt it worth the cost. Hearing the sounds of pleasure his mates were making as they ate, they thought it was as well.

Soon the musician was telling stories to the growing hesitant but still eager crowd. Apparently some tales were more beloved than others. One in particular had the listeners enraptured by what was said with the strummed harp as a soundtrack for what was said in a courtly flourish. Too bad the boys couldn't understand a word of this epic.

After the boys had ate their fill and the girls started to filter down, the tale being given by the old fellow had the audience utterly entranced. A few couples were clinging to each other as if envisioning the scenes. First down of the ladies to this moment was the sheepishly smiling Angelina and Alicia, whom grew incredibly jealous of the nearly licked clean plates laying in front of the boys. At a few coins from Fred and George the pretty slip of a waitress brought out more richly scented plates. Oddly at first the green eyed girl seemed stiff and cool till those coins from the twins were produced, then she lit up like a light and even flashed Harry another bright blushing smile.

Following those two being served was Tracey. Seeing the older girls' heaping feasts she made a tiny squeaked moan of desire. Again their server was stiff and a bit snippy. That is till Tracey plopped down beside a grinning, paying Blaise. As if by magic the fire tressed barmaid was all smiles and demure giggles. Meanwhile the old performer had once more pulled himself into a position to sing as he played the harp. His few initial chords had the audience scrambling to clear away tables. Sensing this was going to be fun, Harry slapped down some coins with a belly full of laughter.

"Mates this is for the other girls' meals. I don't know what is getting ready to happen, but I just want in on it. We can't always be surly, worried gits. I want to bloody well live for a change." He chuckled at their gawking at him.

"Who are you and what did you do with Harry Potter?" Blaise smirked in jest.

"I don't know? Tossed him down a white rabbit hole or something." He retorted snarkily, "I hope you don't mind. I'm not too keen on dragging him back out right now."

Saluting them he strode out to the bustling middle of the cheerful townsfolk. Unsure what he should do, he could only shrug for his watching mates. He only stood there for a short time before a slightly older girl with a long flaxen plait took his hand to lead him into an opening. Her florid pretty face smiled encouragingly at him. Blaise gave him a thumbs up as the dance started with a lively burst of notes. It was fast, complex, and terribly fun even if he stumbled a time or two.

Around and around they quick stepped and spun around. Harry's earlier laughter had returned with gusto as it escaped him in gales, and this was before the really complex bit came about! They were trading partners with a twirl! In a double stepping swing the men sent their old partners whirling to the next fellow to the left. In a slide step they caught the new lass sent their way. His own new partner was a tall woman twice his age, yet she was blushing as brightly as a nervous school girl. Awkward as he felt this was he just went with it. He had found his feet to an extent as they stumbled through the complex web of steps together. Laughing freely at each others antics and successes. At the pass she gave him a parting blown kiss, her eyes twinkling madly. It went on and on like this as he danced with a dizzying array of women from a white haired lady slightly stooped with age to a giggly girl no more than ten. Then he was back to the flaxen haired girl he began with.

She glowed as a rugged young man came in freshly bathed and indicating he wished to cut in. Bowing Harry let the pair join up. By how they only had eyes for each other, they were a couple in love. Maybe there were wedding bells in store for the pair as well, if he didn't miss his guess. Would he ever find a love to match?

Wheezing and holding his side, Harry felt a light tap on his shoulder. Looking up he saw the radiant smile of Parvati. A sight he grew ever more enchanted by each time she gifted him with it. Her dress was a light teal, with intricate but subtle embroidery of entwined white roses and pale purple lilies. She was a vision of pure perfection.

"Care if I take her place?" She smiled demurely, with her dark eyes pulling him into a dream land full of promise.

He kissed her lightly as his heart was hammering away in his chest. "I'm your's Parvati, just a quick warning though. I'm still pants at dancing though."

"I can live with that." she purred while taking his hand, "Just keep kisses like that coming."

Life slowed for Harry as he drank in the sight of this incredible witch who wanted him.

Things sped forward in a rush as the old performer struck a few chords that had the Common Room erupt into clapping laughter. One old duffer dragged a tittering grey headed woman up with him. The gaze this old fellow gave the woman was unadulterated adoration. A look that made Harry ponder on if something was broke inside himself. He craved Parvati, but the same could be said of Hermione and possibly even tiny Luna.

Was he just a reprobate pervert? He knew he most certainly was a cad of the highest order. However he truly loved Parvati and Hermione equally, with every breath he ever had or will take. Life without either was colourless and dead.

Their dance began and he was abominably hopeless at first, but then so was Parvati. They quickly pieced it together though by watching the others. Both of them grinning at it all as they learned. Skip, skip, side step, bow to each other, bow to your neighbor, spin, skip, skip, spin, and stately step... repeat, repeat, and then trade your partner. He was laughing again as was his lovely Parvati, even at the skipping sidestep trade to a new partner. Growing more and more used to these peoples idea of a dance, as well as their complexity, he loved the sense of community in the liberating experience. By the time he reached his second partner since passing Parvati on he was free of care with whom he danced with. Not even caring a whit when he was prancing about with the third witch whom came out to meet Kaliandra Sedai. She was at the moment just another human. So what if she was a witch? He was a wizard and proud of it.

Her beauty was startling, but made more so by her far too old eyes that weighed him constantly like Kaliandra Sedai's. However a different glimmer lit up her gaze. Looks like that had him blushing when given him by Parvati, but this woman was likely three times his age if her silvery grey high lights in her raven black locks were any indication. She tried to talk to him but he didn't understand a single word.

"Different tongue, not your's. Sorry." wanting to not ruin everyone's mood or offend a witch from this world who would dance, he apologized.

Next was the pretty red head who was giving him a welcoming smile full of warmth to match her demure blush. When he returned the smile she broke down into giggles. A little extra sway and flips of her skirts had him blushing too. Which had him loose his feet some. A direct cause for his return to stumbling about and striving for all he was worth to not fall and blow the whole deal. In parting she gave him an inviting saucy wink.

Yet she was not the last to throw him for a loop. Next up was a Cheshire Smiling Tracey who never said a word except in parting. "You're playing a dangerous game. Sadly you're sweetly daft enough to not know it yet."

"What game?" he worried but nearly fell as it was Daphne whom was passed to him. Her eyes were a mystery that trapped his. Momentarily dazzled he stumble clomped a handful of steps. This only served to have her smile wider. In the flash of her gorgeous grin, he felt his heart give notice its taking five while his mind froze to a dead stop. All he could do was gaze into her sloe black eyes and dark hair framed face.

Yep, he must be broken beyond repair. Had to be as she was bringing out memories he had stowed up of her sometime along the way. There was even one of helping her into the boats first year, or when they were all huddled around the fire sipping cinnamon flavored water. When had he began to see her as something besides one of Pansy's Pound Hounds? Not to be discounted was how perfect her silvery green low cut dress suited her.

Shaking his head free of cobwebs as they danced on, he fought to focus on not botching things up. Not just the dance itself too.

Partners came and went, then it was an out of breath but laughing Hermione. She was in a burgundy snug fitted dress that emphasized her bust. Unlike Daphne's that hinted at the cleavage it barely hid in its low off the shoulder style, Hermione's was a high necked number that embraced her with a ruffled lace collar. Her slender neck was highlighted by this covering. A fact that made her even more feminine and perfect, not a bit prudish for its conservative design.

Both afire with crimson blushes they danced with only eyes for each other.

If not for his desire for Parvati, he'd ask her to be his girlfriend. Then again, if not for her he'd ask Parvati to be his girl. A dual edged sword that cut both girls to the quick, and yet he could not find a way to toss the bloody thing away for all their sakes. In fact it was only getting worse, as he desired Luna and possibly Daphne as well. He loathed himself for what he was doing to them all. He was worse than dirt if he didn't fix this.

However the dance went on and had him back with Parvati. Was it a sign? Was she the one he was meant to be with?

"Harry I need to sit down. Care to join me?" she panted in a golden glow that made him kiss her quickly.

"No I'm staying out. I'm trying to kill the gloomy git inside me once and for all." he chuckled grimly.

A flicker played in her eyes of something he did not catch, "Oh... Okay."

"Parvati, I love you." he quietly whispered in her ear so she alone could hear, "I bloody well don't deserve you. But I do love you to distraction."

She melted into him with a kiss that melted his mind, softly replying into his lips, "Harry, I love you too. And I want you, so you do deserve me. A girl has ultimate say in these sorts of things. Now have fun, I'm just a bit out of breath is all."

Luna glided over as Parvati left, "I don't normally enjoy dancing but it never hurts to keep experimenting. That's how Daddy discovered babbling bubbler roots improve the mood of someone eating apricot covered pancakes on Tuesdays." She informed him in all seriousness, making Harry question the sanity of her infamous patriarch. But that wasn't important right then. What did matter was that he wanted to hold the little blond again.

More damning proof he was a rotten cad of a great ruddy, cheating, heart breaking git. Nevertheless he was growing mad for the tiny airy blond. If only he could fix his twisted heart and set his sights on one girl alone. Why not Luna here? She was so lovable, if exceedingly odd. Or was she odd because she was so loving?

"Brilliant excuse, but I'll take it to dance with you." He took her frail looking hands.

"No Harry it's not an excuse, merely a very convenient truth. I never need an excuse to want to be near you." she devastated him with one of her light smiles that took in her ocean like eyes. "Just ask and I'm happy to be with you."

The start of the dance saved him from answering. It didn't save him from the guilt for desiring her. Why he needed her was a conundrum he dwelt on. Best he could come to as an answer was that she felt like a vital part of him. A discovery he'd made when she was not upset about his parseltongue nightmares.

Bob, step forward, left, left, right, back, forward, forward to near touching, trade places, spin her, turn and trade back to back, trade face to face. Side right, side right, change partners in turn. Watching her go was agonizing.

Old matrons and young maidens came and went, till he was facing a vision of fiery angelic origin. A vision in a dress he had given her in a pique of the moment. Wide and hopeful, her smile was enticing him as her eyes beseeched him for something.

"Merlin you're gorgeous. Burn me but I think you are going to have me murdered by your brothers." he blurted out, "I'm sorry Ginny but seeing you this way reminds me that I'm not really your brother."

Blossoming at that she softly replied, "That's the silver lining I was hoping for."

He was officially a low down slug of a wizard, but he found Ginny incredibly alluring just then, "Am I that gloomy to be a cloud with only a slight bit of good?"

"Somedays, but I know what you're like hidden inside." she brushed her hand over his chest as they crossed. How had he missed Ron's baby sister growing up, and catching his eye? Before she passed fully, he caught her hand and kissed it.

"I don't consider this as our dance, Ginny." he breathed out in awe of her.

Blushing even down to her fingertips, she squeaked, "I'll hold you to it."

When he was back with Luna, he felt sick with his twisted vile soul's desire to be with all these girls. A problem amplified by how the tiny gentle blond leaned into him and sighed, "That was exhilarating, but I prefer dancing with only you more."

Sadly the musician was stepping down to take a well deserved break. Unwittingly the man's doing this forced Harry to face the girls. It would be ugly, and he feared what would come of it. Only heartache existed on the course he'd charged headlong down. Choosing one would hurt the others, and choosing them one and all was ludicrously out of the question.

"Harry, I won't mind if you hold me." Luna hugged herself into his chest with a soft sigh, "I do enjoy it so."

"Luna, I don't know if my heart is good enough for you or anyone. I know I'll hurt you in the end." he bitterly confessed to get it out in the open now. "I'm twisted."

Pursing her lips at that she uncharacteristically rebuked him firmly, "Harry Potter, stop this. You're a good man, and I know you'll do right. Just open your heart. It's not a crime to love people or to be loved."

Ginny had slipped up beside them, "She's right Harry. We care for you."

Conflicting desires guided him. Loyalty to Parvati seared his heart, along with his love of the East Indies witch, convicted his soul. It wanted him to just choose. His more primal hunger urged him to snog the pair right then and there. Where did his sense of propriety skive off too, and when would it ever return? Thoughts he scolded himself with as he drank in the sight of the pair of angels.

"Beautiful..." he barely exhaled.

He tried to pass this off as only a wheeze from dancing so much that night but wasn't positive he'd managed it. Both had grown a rosy hue to their cheeks, which only made the more lovelier in his opinion.

Therell, Mr. Silent himself, startled Harry and the two witches by a curtly grunted, "Harry, a word."

The statement wasn't a request, and Harry respected the man too much to say no. So with an apologetic sigh for the girls he nodded and followed the older man.

Quietly and swiftly they exited the Inn through the kitchen. Once outside the old warrior led him out to the drizzling wet park behind some hedges. Worry, or as close as Harry thought might be that emotion tugged at the man's chiseled features.

"Danger is not always from outside. Careful lads see it at home as well." Therell hissed in a whisper, "Kaliandra Sedai is not your enemy. She hopes to protect all. Beware other Aes Sedai, they play games with peoples lives."

The slowly delivered and carefully worded message hit Harry hard. "The others will hurt us, sir?"

"It is not for a Warder to say. You made enemies I suspect." his revered teacher of all things combat related warned, "Reds have no love for men."

"Brilliant!" Harry barked in English. His mind returned to the two on the stairs. Were they these Reds, whatever that meant. Returning to this world's language, he haltingly asked, "My friends? The girls most. Are they in danger?"

Moonlight and a stray beam of lamplight illuminated Therell's iron hard eyes studying him shrewdly, "Always. Aes Sedai are always a danger to each other."

"I want to keep them safe. Please help me." Harry swallowed a bit of bile churned up by his fear as he begged the man in his poor capability with the language.

Clapping Harry's shoulder, the old Warder grunted approvingly, "I will as best I can."

Neville was proven right. That night they found themselves bunking in the stables. Surprisingly alongside the warriors that accompanied the Aes Sedai. Or Warders as they preferred to be called. An arraignment that left Blaise nonplused and more than a bit shirty. Though the other boys were none too pleased either, but the Slytherin had become accustomed to certain standards in his life. For Harry it was just more of the same, broom cupboard or smelly barn on a haystack it was a place to sleep.

They ended up staying a few weeks in this sleepy Ghealdaner town of Coltran's Downs. A blessing and a curse for Harry as him and his Hogwarts compatriots learned to ride horses, the Common Tongue, and other little details of life in this alternate earth. As for the equestrian arts shockingly the three Slytherins already knew how. Something about Zabibni's mother once being married to a wealthy Brazilian wizard that owned a huge ranch. Harry and Hermione, the only other ones to have rode a live animal, were quick studies but for some minor hitches. For the former he yearned for his Firebolt's intuitive responses. In the latter's case, she loathed not having perfect control at all times. Plus for the boys came training from the Warders. Whom all took to drilling them day in, day out. With so many of them, it made the instructions grow and take on meanings one trainer alone couldn't do swiftly.

On the flip side was the storm brewing among the women. Seandra Nelvien, the red headed niece of the Inn Keeper, had been true to her word and started teaching Harry how to speak and read more than what the Warders taught. Her flashing unidentifiably familiar green eyes never judged his mistakes, and indeed he felt their intrigue of him. Although he did not wish to give her the wrong ideas. He knew he would be leaving the village soon enough, if not the whole world just yet. Leave with no plan of ever returning this way save to locate the pillar.

Then it would be off to Hogwarts and his home world, hopefully with the girls he truly loved. The girls his life would never be complete without.

However the girls were getting testier for all his moments alone with the pretty girl. Their sudden abundance of teachers in the Ancient's Ways, the witches were kept on extra short leashes, and nearly flogged in their instructions. All of them said it was sublime when they felt the One Power, but couldn't begin to describe it to the boys, let alone teach it. But that did not stop them from being snippy with Harry over any mention of Seandra and him studying. Even Luna was tense about his friendship with the red headed muggle.

Then came the loudly denied, silent rift between the Aes Sedai. As best that Harry could tell, they enjoyed keeping up an illusion that there was zero discord in their ranks. However anyone with eyes and half a brain would be able to see that was a bald faced lie. Or anyone not caught up on the mystique the witches held over the people of this world. Althiana Sedai was a Green and had all the Warders there- aside from Therell that is- as hers. Plus, for some inexplicable reason she could boss the other three Aes Sedai around. Then came the two Reds, Naleva Sedai and Taymirin Sedai. It was odd how the more authoritarian of the two would silence herself at a look from the other.

Naleva Sedai thrilled at making Harry's life a living nightmare, always barking orders at him for anything she could think of. At first he ignored the annoying witch but Therell and the other Warders would stop teaching him if he did. Mixed in would be the pleading looks of the girls that he would try to be more civil, for their sakes. Yet for all of Naleva Sedai's bluster, a simple glance from Taymirin Sedai or Althiana Sedai would have her slamming her trap shut with an almost audible snap. Lastly was the quiet and serene Kaliandra Sedai, whom also did as Taymirin Sedai or Althiana Sedai wished. However she would face down Naleva Sedai without flinching. Supposedly the infuriating woman was a Brown and "has seen more than most of the whole Tower combined."

That lot all were also worried about something but never shared it with anyone. If not for his wish and need to protect the girls, Harry would have packed it in by now. Two and a half weeks of this had him ready to in any case.

Resting from a strenuous workout by the Warders, him and the boys sat wearily drinking the dregs of their bucket of water ravenously. All of them had improved at their chosen weapons and more. Both hand to hand and knife fighting was required, plus some basics in bowmanship. They were learning loads and becoming weapons, but they had learned nothing of wizardry. Luckily there was the blessing of becoming loads fitter physically.

"I wish the girls could spend more time with us." Blaise grumped, him and Tracey had been having a good snogging a few nights back that had the Aes Sedai up in arms. Supposedly they had read the riot act to Tracey and all the other girls about dangerous fraternization with boys.

Of course Harry didn't take this well and would have rounded them all up and left except for the girls begging him not to do anything rash. Little did anyone suspect Fred and George had a few canary creams made by now, and slyly slipped the lot into the Aes Sedai's pastries. Funny as it were to witness, from what the girls had said, it alarmed the old biddies terribly. For a couple of days the girls were out scrubbing down the Inn instead of the Inn staff. Unamused would be too light a word for how the girls took that. Though the boys savored the mental image it provided.

Out of the Inn came a beaming Seandra balancing a tray of food and steins of mulled wine for the Warders and wizards. A sight both welcoming and horrible after how cool the ladies treated Harry anytime he had contact with the muggle barmaid. Never mind he now could read nearly as well as the witches with their Aes Sedai teachers aid. Well enough he could and did begin tutoring the other boys as well.

"Well here goes another ruddy night of being ignored." Harry sighed in aggrieved disgust, "I wonder if we made the right choice of coming here. Those ruddy witches are going to be the death of me, and those batty Aes Sedai are worse."

Neville glumly nodded as Harry's misfortune bled over to them as well to varied degrees. With Padma being the twin sister of Harry's love Parvati, Neville all too often got a cold shoulder from the witch he had been growing close too. "Why don't one of you guys go meet her for a bloody change?"

"Are you barking?" George gritted out.

"We're still in it for the Canary Creams." Fred sighed with a wince from a tired muscle.

"We're not as daft as Harry." Blaise grinned impishly.

"Thanks mates. I appreciate it loads." Harry growled darkly and stood with a creak of sorely used joints and muscles. "Ruddy well remember this when you need a hand."

Grumbling to himself, Harry met the pretty thing. There eyes locked and he felt the appeal of the girl again but dreaded if any of his loves caught sight of this.

"Hello Harry. How is the Raven Lord today?" Seandra teased him for what the locals called him after they saw his weapons.

"Sore, tired, and a touch out of sorts. Altogether bloody well brilliant. How about you?" He took some of her load, "This all smells delicious."

"Thank you milord Raven." she tittered then answered his question, "I'm about the same but you could help my mood if you join me out near the High Tree. These nights its usually dazzling to witness the sunsets from there."

 _Oh and I might as well hang myself while I'm up there if I do._ He thought with a suppressed shudder. If he didn't, the girls would march him up there to do it. "To tired by then. Master Therell is a taskmaster. Right now I'm using the main force of my will to stand erect."

Pouting but brightening she informed him proudly, "Oh well. There will be time. When you all leave for Tar Valon, I'll be coming with you. I was tested and am capable of learning to become an Aes Sedai. Isn't that as you say, brilliant!"

"Uh... yeah, brilliant." he wanted to cry. Yes he may have fancied her at some point but if she joined them, Harry will be bunking out with the pack horses. "That's brilliant."

Later, after she'd left with their dirty dishes and a saucy smug smile for Harry, he heard it from his mates. It was going to be ugly, and they all knew it.

Word came the next day that the Aes Sedai and the whole town up in a lather. _"Logain has declared himself as the Dragon Reborn."_ Then again some of the strain could be attributed to the arrival of a platoon of those zealots from the mountains. Stylizing themselves as _Children of the Light_ , but in truth the whole lot were a bunch of official terrorists. Amply proving this assessment by Harry, they quickly took to harassing the townsfolk. Even scrawling a black Dragon's Fang on the Inn door.

This is where the wizards learned a horrendous truth. Wizards went mad at some time in the past and were effected by a "Taint" the more they touched or used magic. Red Sisters hunted these men to destroy the ability to use magic from inside the men. Harry and the boys grew ever darker with that. Salazaar Slytherin had went mad in truth but had bravely went to fight the Shadow one last time. However the girls were committed to learning from the Aes Sedai and could, or would not leave.

Sitting on old wine casks, Harry and his mates had decisions to make. Bitter, terrible, and needed decisions for themselves and the girls. What if they went mad and brought the sickness of the Taint back to their own world? They were not going to enjoy their futures whatever they decided. And worse yet they knew they dared not discuss this all with the girls. In part from the ladies being cloistered with the Aes Sedai for safety when the bloody White Cloaks rode in. Seandra and one other girl too had been pulled into this protective measure. However this cloistering was not all that kept the boys silent with the girls. This possibly selfish or petulant reason was born from how the girls lives were free of this and will never understand this death sentence, so why trouble them with it.

"I think we could slip away now if we go." Blaise warily eyed the carousing zealots drink toasts to what glories they would win in the coming war.

Neville coldly snapped at that, "You would actually leave Tracey?"

"She'd want and expect it. We're Slytherins my dear noble Kittens. We try to survive and strike from points of advantage." their dark skinned friend hissed defensively, "But I don't have to like. Neither will she for that matter."

"We're staying." Fred and George spoke in unison.

"As am I." Neville declared defiantly.

All four were watching Harry. Here again it felt they wished to know his stance and may well change their's accordingly. Suppressing an urge to snap at the lot of them he stood and cracked his neck. Of late he'd not had any nightmares of Voldemort except his stepping into that dark unnatural doorway. He did have them of a richly golden voiced man who was both shining and dreadfully terrifying at the same time.

"Blood and ashes." a man in the armour of a White Cloak slovenly yelled to his drunken mates still toasting themselves. "We've been sittin' beshides a shet'a Darkfriends thish whole times."

The blokes mates all looked up and then growled or spat upon seeing Harry. One burly bugger with the look of having less intelligence than that of Crabbe or Goyle dumbly sprayed is words out while drawing his sword, "Yer'righ'Cealby. Bloody filth mucker has'sh it out in tha'op'n. Ravens'sh!"

The gleaming batch of drunken sots had all stood and were menacingly advancing on Harry and his mates.

"Pets of the Dark One if I ever saw one." a rail thin pockmarked wanker sneered while he joined these soused tosspots.

"What did we bloody well do this time?" Neville raged suddenly, "Whole bloody world is a twisted mess. I'm sick of it."

"Here, here." Blaise sighed in disgust.

Harry however glared at the oncoming zealots. His blood had began to boil but he was calm. Terribly calm and had not even fully realized he'd drawn his weapons. "Ravens? Your knickers are in a twist over ravens?"

A crack of lightening split the air and caused the ground to tremble.

"Enough! Potter take the boys and make ready the horses. Logain has set his eye on Jehannah. We must protect those with us." Althiana Sedai barked for an Aes Sedai.

Swallowing his angry retort, Harry glared at the filthy lot of zealots before turning to his own mates with a commanding bark of his own. "You heard the Sister. Lets move it."

Funny how witches could always manage to get wizards to do their bidding. They all should have left a week ago. Left and found better teachers for the girls.

"They are going nowhere. They are under arrest as Darkfriends." the pock marked tosser snapped with the drunken gorilla in support with a sloshing wave of his mug.

"They are going to Tar Valon, and they're training as Warders." dismissed Althiana Sedai with an imperious sniff for the Children.

Out of earshot, Harry snarled, "I guess this means we're staying."


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet

($parseltongue$)

Authors Note: This story is written more or less in full. Well up to Book 4 (of 5) which I am halfway through. This is a tale that the romance has to build for most of the Characters. Rowling left precious little in Character Development. The only ones she left us for us reader/writers to use are Ron, Dumbledore, Voldemort, and Snape. Please bear with me that the story needs build up or it falls flat. Remember Harry has grown up in an abusive relationship at home as did Neville. The other boys and girls to have less than ideal raisings.

As for those who do not know what the Wheel of Time is, it is a book series. In my opinion one of the greatest written by a man far more talented than my humble self.

To all who bare with me Thank You Thank You Thank You!

Chapter Ten: Blossoms of Fire

"Concentrate." gruffly barked the grizzled Therell at the boys whom all stood stripped to their breech clothes in the darkening evening air. "Forget all that may be and set flame to all that has been. Nothing and everything is all that you are. Unity is a misconception. Individuality is a misconception. There is nothing but yourself and the Pattern. How the Wheel weaves is out of your control. Where the Age Lace ties you down to is also out of control."

"Blimey this sounds dodgy." Blaise murmured darkly to Neville.

A light misty breeze cut through the exhausted wizards with thousands of frigid knives. Yet as much as the lot wished to seek their bedrolls, the Warders were putting them through their paces. Specifically in seeking the elusive Oneness, or the Void. A warrior who was in this disconnected frame of mind, had their focus become total and deadly accurate. Pains, exhaustion, or stress were nothing but passing dreams. Buried in the Void, such a warrior was supposedly nigh unstoppable.

Examining himself and his past, Harry's soul was afire with torrential bursts of emotion. Memories of his tumultuous childhood pre-Hogwarts mocked his worth as a man, let alone someone worthy of love. Phantom blows of Uncle Vernon's ham sized fists or Ripper's long sharp teeth painfully roared afresh to him in this exercise. Taunts from Draco or Snape crudely cut his self worth in an unholy chorus with Aunt Petunia's criticisms on his self identity. Ron's dismissal of their friendship alienated him anew. In the shadows of all these and others he was a confirmed slug crawling fresh from under a darkened rock. Yet facing them in this quest for perfection of action and thought, these had to be poured into the flame he built in the meditative silence of his mind.

Cherished slices of his life too must be studied, understood, and correctly set in order as well. The way his mother and father's faces beamed down on him as a babe in the crib filling him with a soft warmth. In their eyes, he was a bundle of joy worth more than life or gold. Sharing a laugh with his friends on the trail out of the Mountains of Mist gave him hope they could survive this journey sane and whole. Together they would care for each other like a family. Glimpses of what his loves' felt and hoped for him in their glorious eyes soothed the ache of rejection he felt from Ron and the world at large. In those five girls' eyes he was not the slimy dregs of humanity. Instead he was a man of great promise. However in the seeking of the Void, these were to be consumed by the flames in his mind alongside the bad.

He must be a part of all existence, and still be alien to it. Everything and nothing in the same breath. All of existence was the vast emptiness and the burning flame in his mind. He was both the flame consuming this all, and the vast empty nothingness left behind. That is how the Warders described it and that is what he found mostly. Then again it was not all there was.

A gusting lash of frigid rain drops were pelting his already chilled flesh in the sporadic sprinkle soaking the world. Adding it to his flame, he studied what else existed in there with him. If he concentrated on it, whatever it was vanished. Teasing him, it stayed just out of reach while illuminating the whole of the emptiness he sought to control in him. As for his flame, this otherness dwarfed it as if it didn't exist.

While his body wished nothing more than to flee this assault on his senses, his mind recoiled from this battle for his sanity. Pure determination from some deep place inside him bolstered his strength to best it. Whatever it was that he couldn't quite see, it was not his master. He was the sole motivator and control on his life, not anything or anyone. He was the master of his own fate and actions. Snape, Draco, and the Dursleys were empty threats to his life. Vaporous whispers of rotten filth, but nothing more. The opinions of others were meaningless and vague if he was not king of his own soul, heart, and principles. A warrior worried if a paper's press release would say good or ill of him is no warrior at all. Same startlingly went with how those he loved and cared for felt about him. Neither Dumbledore or the girls should have ultimate say over him, if he is to do what must be done. If he could not stand on his own he was useless to everyone.

Life was his for the taking if he had the courage, not to be dictated to him by anyone.

So too should that other presence, or power hiding at the edge of his awareness.

Concentrating on how to grasp it he zoned most everything else out for what he planned.

"Sir," Neville asked Therell in the background of Harry's world, "why is it that the Aes Sedai seem bent on trying to turn our girlfriends against us? Why must we become Warders to ever be allowed near our friends?"

"Yeah," Fred questioned in support, "It's like we're a batch of slugs. Don't we have rights?"

"We're not afraid of hard work, but this is as if we have to grovel to just catch a glimpse of our friends and sister." George grumbled out what all of them felt, "What do the Aes Sedai think we are? Who do they think they are? The bloody Creator or some such rot?"

Harry had wanted answers for a time as well. Seemingly the witches lost their heads and were driven to never part from Kaliandra Sedai at first then all of the ruddy Aes Sedai. Which in some ways was fine to an extent. They have their teachers and leaving the lot of silly witches wasn't responsible or fair. They had no idea that this place was death to the wizards or that there were no teachers for them even if it wasn't. The other place may have had the opposite and then it would have been cruel to them. It was a roll of the dice and there were no winners. Be that as it may these Aes Sedai were twisting the girls into people far different than the boys once knew.

However these thoughts and concerns had to go into the cleansing flame with all the rest. He must remain in the Void or he'll never master that powerful light outshining his mind's fire. Mentally he stretched out his mind to this storm of silent light.

Therell shared a grin with the other Warders, "Boys, Aes Sedai treat everyone this way. Including the girls they teach and every other Sister alive. A Warder's duty is not only to protect their Aes Sedai, but we must also learn how to save them from themselves. A Warder is not only their hands and connection to the non-gifted world, but also the one person who will look out for them in all ways. I am Kaliandra Sedai's family. I often times act as her father, brother, nephew, uncle. And sometimes her son. Though to the world and regularly she too will only see me as her mere servant. That does not stop me from staying by her side for her own good over my own."

"It's harder when you love her as well, and she is unsure if she feels the same."Olmehd, one of Althiana Sedai's Warders commented, "I do what I can and pray it's enough. Hoping that one day she will recognize I do what I do for the love I hold for her."

Harry was hearing all this, but only in the most abstract of ways. He knew that if he conquered this previously unseen power lurking in the background of his life, he'd have mastered something far more profound than simply himself. Life and death were at his fingertips, especially if this proved to be the way to learning how to use the One Power. Once learned they may be able to go home before they all are destroyed by this world. All they had to have was the keys to the door and they could see to the rest.

Ever closer he stretched out his thoughts towards it. It's taunting existence danced and spun away from him. Angered by this he fought to control his flightier emotions in order to not lose the Void. If he did he'd lose his illusive foe inside him.

Neville asked these powerful men teaching them a rather frank observation, "What if what is best for them lays in a path outside of those the White Tower demands?"

"That is the Warder's conundrum lad." Therell remarked with a lopsided grin, "We're men and women never listen to us as they automatically assume we're blockheaded sheep herders. And though it pains me to say it, an Aes Sedai listens to us even less than that. In order for us to do our best by them, we must learn and adhere to a well traveled trail of etiquette and discipline. We guide by winning their trust and not letting them run roughshod over us. By use of this dance of rituals that force them to see our honour and determination to do our chosen duty, we keep them from dismissing us like common men they only see as tools."

"But when Harry or the rest of us were looking out for our friends, or baulking at doing what all petty or useless order the Red Sisters hammer us with, you lot stop teaching us at all." Blaise grumbled in disgust. "Those girls are our friends, family, and loves. Yet those women act as if we're parasites of some sort."

"First let's discuss that last. Aes Sedai will never accept that the girls they find that are talented like those you cherish have a life outside of the Tower. In part it is to protect them from Whitecloaks and the like. Second it is as if they see such girls as their children. Most Aes Sedai never have families of their own so the others of the White Tower fill that void. As for Red Sisters, they rarely see men as human at all, so they do see you as parasites on their daughters. Now about the first bit you asked of. We demand respect for the Aes Sedai so that they will respect us in all that we do and think." Olmehd countered in a semi-lecturing tone. "Aes Sedai forever strive for respect and position. Disrespect haunts them all as the world already despises them. Never you mind that it was the Light Blinded male Aes Sedai to destroy the world in their Taint Madness. As you so eloquently put it, the female Aes Sedai were painted with the same brush."

Having that statement filter in against his wishes shook Harry. It haunted his conscience that this Taint had corrupted so much and cost so many lives. It was a cancer on all of existence. A threat that may come for him and his mates some day soon. Losing focus under the strain of these troubling thoughts, he blindly grabbed for the light hanging in the Void. It was brief, but his wild move immersed him in an awesome surge where all of life was washing over and through him. With it was an oily wrongness that made him gag. Even if he used the strongest scourgify charm on himself, it would do little to cleanse him. It was on or inside his very soul now. It could only be one thing and he wished nothing more than to rip it from inside of him in terror.

Suddenly feeling too nauseous to stay inside the calm of the Void or remain here, he ran out into the darkness past the Red Sisters and their contingent of Tower Guards. He ran well beyond the camp fires, and staggered his way past the horses as well. The thought of just running away from it all urged him on except for fate had an unseen rock tripping him.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Calm repose. That is what the Sisters all hinted at as a key to embracing the One Power, unfortunately Daphne was far from achieving that at the moment. Thousands of little irritants had her boiling inside too much to yield herself to a peaceful state of mind. A proverbial swarm of thoughts ate at her concentration. Starting with the vile cows, the Red Sisters Taymirin and Naleva had harangued the witches about the evils of the male half of humanity just about any time one of the teen witches even thought of catching a glimpse of the boys. This is if the two didn't outright keep the naturally talented witches imprisoned in an invisible wall of trivial orders that repelled the attention of the girls' beaus. An imposition that the sneaky gingered tart Seandra slyly took full advantage of as she slipped out of any work to try and poach Harry every time Daphne's back was turned. Then there was how Blaise, her normally dear friend, would ditch Harry and Neville to avoid work as if he were channeling the Ferret Prince Draco the First. Right along with that dastardly duo of the Weasley Twins whom were only industrious if pulling a prank. All three exhibited the moral fiber of a trio of extra slothful flobber worms when doing their least to survive. Even Harry was aggravating her as he avoided the witches like they all had the Dragon Pox, and he was not the only one doing this. Padma was going spare at how cool Neville had grown of late. Yet these harpy Aes Sedai would not relent and allow the girls to set things right with the mulish wizards they thought they knew and loved.

That is when the old besoms were not contradicting each other in the Tower's view of the male gender as a whole. It was as if none of the women lived in the same world as the others.

After an extra stressful day of circling a burned ruin of a once vibrantly alive village, Angelina had queried the Aes Sedai about the missing Warders and boys they were training. Three differing answers swiftly confused the distraught teen witches.

"An Aes Sedai has no life outside of the Tower for the most part except for her Warders. The dears are her eyes, ears, and hands among the common folks of the world. They give a Sister satisfaction in seeing non-Saidar related work done. For some Sisters such as myself they also give me a chance to be a normal beloved woman. In my arms my boys are gifts from the Creator made flesh. Not all Warders are created equal or match their Aes Sedai properly. Wise women study and select the men they wish to bond with great care. One day you ladies will be worthy of such men, but those lovely lads you pine for will not likely be available for you. I fear you are wasting your time and their lives by this infatuation you carry for the dear things. We out live men and thus it would be a cruel injustice to keep them on leashes better left in the hands of full grown and trained women. Women whom have earned their Shawls will care for those darling lovelies as they need in their short brutal lives of warfare and pain. For instance my boys know that I am the only woman that can give them meaning and peace in life as the lonely cold nights seek to chill us." Althiana blithely dismissed the girls' worries.

Thankfully the calmer Kaliandra had a gentler concept she espoused, "Love is a stronger bond than the prosaic Warder Bond. If a woman tends and cares for it, time means nothing. Age is only an abstraction that harms if it is the focal point of the parties involved. Where heart ache comes in to this is if the parties forget to see to the upkeep and tender treatment of each other. If let go for too long the bonds will rightfully wither away. This is true of any relationship, including that of the Warder and Aes Sedai. Warders give themselves to our safekeeping. Without them we are empty and alone. In a way they are our sons or younger brothers. For some of us they have become surrogate husbands. In either case they give us meaning and hope in their all too often short brutal lives. If we fail to vouchsafe their trusting hearts and souls with love and tender guidance they will be gone and our lives will be the poorer for it."

Taymirin's sneered advice scared Daphne the most, "Men are simply extensions of the darkness shadowing our world. Far better than bonding them is the ease of merely using them and then tossing them aside when we are finished with the dirty beasts. An Aes Sedai can find all that a Warder offers her in the superior companionship of other Aes Sedai. Better yet is to find and use those whom are far weaker than we are as the satisfaction of dominance is immense. Children mark my words as advice to carry in your flighty hearts forever. Our's is a world of the strongest uses the weakest. We take what we require from our lessors, what ever we so desire of them." The woman's smirk at the stiff lipped Naleva was frightening.

Having these three opinions made her wonder if she was partly to blame for her Harry's lessening ardor. Which irked her even more than if he'd never had noticed her at all. The choice they all made to come here was not an easy one but one that they had to make for the good of their world's wizardingkind. Discovery that the boys would never find a teacher here put more onto the shoulders of the witches to succeed. They must learn how to use the One Power or all of this would be for naught. And as often as she tried to sooth her breaking heart with that fact, she craved his love like a parched desert awaiting the rain.

"Daphne, it will not come unless you open yourself to the calm serenity of life and your inner self. You are the flower child. Its petals are your beautiful pieces of yourself that you hide in and behind." Kaliandra softly instructed. The woman's amber pendant with an ant trapped in its depths hung between them, taunting Daphne to dare try opening a light inside it. "Let yourself accept that you are only a part of the entire cycle of life. The Wheel has spun you out as a future powerful Aes Sedai for the ages."

They all had been at this for what felt like ages. When they first learned of Kaliandra being a witch they had approached her to teach them. She gleefully took to this and slowly began taking them through the processes involved in channeling, as they called it here. During their time at the Inn, when the slag Seandra was busily stealing their men, the Sisters had guided them into touching Saidar. It was a gentle calm ocean of power that connected them to all of life. Merely glimpsed it was addicting and a reward in its own way when balanced with the loss of time with the boys. Now it felt an unacceptable trade off if they have totally alienated the boys.

Horror of horrors was the realization of this built walls of insecurities in the witches barring them from grasping the bliss of the One Power. Desperation had long since settled into them and led them to being short with each other and the unfettered boys whom were free of this torture. And in the offing has led to the boys treating the girls as more like they did the Aes Sedai. Cool, distant, and with as little conversation as possible.

Daphne wanted to scream from it all, not give over and act as if nothing was wrong.

"I can't! Kaliandra Sedai, what am I doing wrong? I want to be an Aes Sedai, but I can't give up Harry. Yet for some reason we're being forced apart." she griped tiredly to the nods of her friends sitting around them, "Our people need to have the gift of channeling before we destroy ourselves, and I feel you are our best chance of a teacher. Harry and the boys know it but their growing cold towards us."

Kaliandra fondly patted her cheek, "That is a reason I asked Therell to take them under his wing. Your young buck is a wild one that I fear will never be tamed. Some Sisters may try and possibly take him as hers if they were daring. Only I'm growing into the opinion he is not an average fellow who needs constant pushing to be a man. Fred and George are a pair of ne'er-do-wells that have to learn not everything is a game or witty jest. Same could be said of the lithe lordling Blaise you cherish as a friend. The other two though must be given respect and heard as men deserving of such, and yet all those they adore give them the stick with a taunting carrot before thrashing them with it. Sisters who treat their Warders this way soon find the man useless on their own or asking for the Bond to be removed. We women whom are gifted to become Aes Sedai tend to forget that others have a say in life as well. Artur Hawkwing was not a channelor like this heathen Logain, but he came within a breath of shattering the White Tower from our game play at court. Men may be brutish often as not but we should never treat them less than our horses. Especially if we claim to love them."

Contrite, Daphne shared a look with her friends. All were wondering if they had unconsciously been taking the collars from those dresses and chaining them to their boys. Was this what had them so cold and distant of late?

Alicia asked quietly, "If we open ourselves to this One Power, will we become as calm as you? Ever since we met, you've been seemingly unruffleble. George is the love of my life I think. But with all that life throws my way I'm already in a spin, adding him only turns the spins into loops. Yet I love how he makes me feel as a girl. However he is so frustrating and he drives me mad by how I can't trust him to just do some of the work the rest of us have to do. I don't want to become his mother and I don't wish to let certain Sisters drive me into a poor play that loses him."

"I don't want to become my mother." Ginny chirped in the background. "I love her but she screams at almost everything. None of us can be good enough unless we become like Percy. He could do no wrong."

Calm as a cool breeze to match the one chilling the night, Kaliandra sighed, "Oh my poor dears. Sometimes a parent is susceptible to over reaction to a child's actions. As for the rest Saidar doesn't create calm in its chosen women vessels. We must learn to be calm to use it safely. All five of its threads; Fire, Earth, Water, Air, and Spirit can create life or annihilate it. A petulant stray thought can create a weave that can alter irrevocably all you see or touch. A gust of Wind can flatten a house or steal the breath from a babe still in swaddling cloth. Pairing that basic Air weave with Water will have the force to crack rocks or sheer a full grown man in half. So you must be centered and free of petty childishness before you use Saidar, and yet even a child can possibly grasp hold of it by accident. Think of your lad George as being those wilder elements. Somedays he must be a storm of wild fury, thus you must not try to break that. However he must also do his part, so try reasoning with him instead of haranguing him. This will help you find the focus to surrender to fate and Saidar with the bonus of possibly salvaging a decent fellow. As well as your relationship with said rogue."

Luna nodded solemnly, "Harry vexes me sorely, but he also gives my life joy. Kaliandra Sedai, why do we feel drawn to you and the other Sisters, but not exactly like how we're drawn to those we love?"

"Like draws like, dear child. We innately sense each other's ability to channel and thus seek each other out. Now that you've been discovered as naturally gifted in Saidar, none of us Sisters dare contemplate letting you go on untaught. For your very safety as well as for others near to you. The Wheel set our threads together and have woven us into a greater whole. Only ta'verin can change fate in the Pattern, and none of them have easy or long lives. Now children lets return to our work tonight. We have a long road to follow to Tar Valon."

Groaning in fear of just more failure, Daphne returned to her efforts to surrender to Saidar in order to command it. As she cleared her mind as best she could she had a sudden insight into how she could salvage what little of a relationship she once had with Harry. If she didn't allow him his own rights to think or choose, he may well run to that ginger tart Seandra. Daphne must accept that he was a part of her reason to become Aes Sedai, but not the sole one. Same as her acceptance of their mutual gift of being parselmouths. Acceptance of life, all of her life, meant she must not demand the Wheel bend to her willful desires.

Petal by petal her chosen namesake blossom began to unfurl in the Light of Saidar. For only a second she had it and the bit of ant laden amber blinked into a fiery life. It was incredible. Her first solo embracing of Saidar was far greater than riding beside one of the Sisters to do it.

Stumbling into the group of girls were all the boys save her Harry. Grim fear burned hot in the lot's eyes. With Harry absent it was Neville to take the lead in speaking up.

"Harry ran off into the dark and we can't find him. Not even the Warders can. If he is just avoiding us we need your help if you wouldn't mind." Neville sounded as if he doubted any of them truly cared anymore.

Realizing that they felt this way hurt, leaving most of the teenage witches gobsmacked. Luna just had a sorrowful smile that would look odd on just about anybody but the tiny blond. Angelina and Alicia had already stood to go.

"I told you they wont lift a finger to help. Pardon us Kaliandra Sedai, but us Brothers of the Blade must care for our own." Blaise spun on his heel to avoid looking at the hurt looking Tracey. "We know that these future Novices must learn to be Sisters more than worry about us mortal men. Just as Taymirin Sedai instructed."

"Don't mind him." Neville contritely bowed out, "We know our place. Our friends must learn to be Sisters above all else. However we still could use the help though our lives are of less import to the security of the world." He too turned away from his girl without a second glance.

Padma looked stricken by her gentle unassuming boyfriend's rejection.

Seandra looked smug on the other hand as she popped up and gave a quick curtsied, "Harry needs a real friend for a change. I'll go help, as any true friend would no matter the cost." Then she shot off into the outlying area in a smug rustle of skirts.

Oh how Daphne despised that cow! How dare she say that? How dare she even exist!

Luna took her hand and softly urged, "I fear he feels a monster or worse. He needs you more than the rest of us at the moment. I wont lose him to her. Not when you can speak to him in ways none of the rest of us can."

Padma in the meantime arose to her feet on unsteady legs to spit waspishly at Parvati, "I hope you're happy Par. You've always got everything. First you took Harry. Then when you can't keep that two bit chippy from him, you guilt me into being short with my Nev! If I've lost him because you five couldn't put Seandra in her place- so help me I may never forgive you." In a whirl of her long grey skirts the Ravenclaw shot off after the big blond wizard, "Nev, wait!"

He kept on walking as if he hadn't heard a word of hers. A sight that chilled Daphne to the core as she felt that those two were what she had hoped for herself with Harry. If this was what the Wheel of Time had wrought, she hated its very existence.

Fred and George were glancing hopefully at Angelina and Alicia.

Angelina snorted as she walked away, "Come on lets get our teammate. Just so you know. We're still mad at you. We're not your mother. There is a place for fun and games but you two haven't learned it yet. Your mum may have put up with you two leaving everything for others to do, but we wont. But we'll help look for Harry. As Neville and Seandra said, it's what friends do."

Tracey had stood pale as a sheet and went the way Blaise had with a sad determination. If not for Harry, Daphne would have joined her cousin's search. The boy was in need if a good thrashing because of his Draco act, but he was one of her only friends. Slytherins don't have many of those, or true ones at least. Becoming Aes Sedai may have destroyed their lives.

Tugged away, Daphne followed Luna feeling a gnawing sickness twisting her middle. How was she to bring Harry back when he didn't wish to be found? It was rumored he knew how to disillusion himself back at Hogwarts. Of all the five girls from Hogwarts after him, she was the least likely to ever convince him of her feelings.

Away from camp, Luna paused and hugged her tight, "I don't know why yet, but both Harry and us five are connected. We will fail in everything if we don't stand beside each other in some way. Tonight I believe we must have you go to him. Don't be afraid and alone anymore."

Hesitantly she asked her cryptic blond friend, "Luna why do you think that?"

"Harry has never been given true love and very little companionship he could fully trust. All of us have our own portion of those to share. I'm afraid to elaborate. Please go find him. Tonight you're my only hope to keep the love of my life safe at my side." Luna's voice was tiny and cautious. " Please trust what I tell you."

Nodding acceptance earned her a peck on the cheek from a glowing almost teary eyed Luna.

The tiny blond wasn't done yet though as she gazed waterily up at her, "I'm glad you're my friend. I know how it feels to be an exile for my gifts."

Stunned at the sad blond waif now determinedly skipping towards the camp, Daphne turned to gaze out into the misty dark night. A small curse for said chilly mist escaped her lips as it stung her own tear streaked face.

Careful not to break her fool neck, she stepped out into the deeper darkness. People were calling for Harry all over the place. So it was either he couldn't answer or he wouldn't. Refusing to contemplate the former while fearing it was the latter, she tip-toed further out in silence. If he ran from her, how could she help him.

Passing the barely searching Tower Guards, she caught a hushed conversation drifting past.

"Dog, you cost us this. All of them had to come along. Galena sent you with me to find their sorts, and you're doing your best to run all the darlings off. You know our numbers are lower than they should be." Taymirin's haughty voice hissed acidly, "Be glad I don't give you to one of those lovelies as incentive. Surely then you would prove useful in more ways than in one. Now lets get back to the search for that filthy brat. Blood and ashes you're useless, you know that?"

The vile cow's voice was trailing away. In its passing Daphne gulped down some of her fear. Questions were swirling throughout her mind at that snippet. Was that Taymirin and the harpy Naleva, or was somebody else with the leading Red Sister?

More cautious now than she was moments ago so as to not arouse the wrath of Taymirin, she crept out along past the horse picket line. A flashing glimpse of glass paused her. It had to have been Harry if it was. Moving towards where she saw it, she now caught a flickering glimpse of him curled up into a fetal position, whimpering and covered in vomit. Aside from that, all she saw wrong with him was a split lip and a busted nose. Hopefully this meant he was more or less whole.

Calling to him failed to get a response aside from a flat uncomprehending stare. If this had been Hogwarts she may have backed off to give him space. But here and now she refused to hide from her feelings and his need. One day he'd be her Warder and she'd be worthy of him as Kaliandra instructed earlier. Getting his attention though would take something big. Giving up was no option if she wished to keep him out of the grasp of that man stealing slag. That one would never steal a march on her if she could help it.

Luna's words drifted up into her mind here. She had a way to talk with him no one else did.

Shoving aside her anxieties, she put her imagination to work and imagined him as a snake, $Can I help you Harry?$

For a moment he simply continued to stare at her. Then as she was growing frantic that she may have messed this up and she needed to figure out a new approach, he hissed in reply, $No one can. I'm covered in it. I felt it and now I can't get free. Soon I'll be the monster that everyone fears. If not now then soon... So soon...$

Unsure how to take that, she sat down beside him and hissed, $You'll never be a monster. And if you are, I'll be one too. Us two legged serpents should stick together.$

He held her gaze for a few seconds then hissed in a longing whisper, $I don't know if I should. You lot have teachers now. Ones who'll have to hunt me down one day, but you lot will have learned to at least teach the witches. It's probably best this way.$

Frowning she strove not to yowl at him, $This might sound selfish to you, but it's not enough. I'm sorry if I've been a cow to you. We've all been terrified we were losing you. The Aes Sedai demand we keep our distance from you. Well some of the Sisters do, and they seem to run things for now. Learning that you all may be caught by this taint everyone is afraid of has made us buckle down harder to learn what we can to escape here and keep you safe. Harry please forgive us. We're going crazy with everything going on... And we miss you so much.$

He took a quick deep breath before hissing back, $I know its hard on you. I'm just glad you don't have to fear what I know is out there. Learn... Learn all you can and think well of me.$

She was about set him straight as that did not sound in the least bit favorable to what she hoped for the future.

"Found you!" Naleva crowed in delight as she stepped out of the darkness. "What dirty little games have we-?"

Taymirin cut that off with an oily smile. "Daphne my child. Come away with us at once. You risk much wasting time with that boy"

Not ready to part from him she was about to hiss him her need for him. Instead he hissed almost inaudibly, $Later, I wont let all of you and my mates down. Your not safe yet.$

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Standing with his back towards Padma, Neville felt like a heel. However he was tired and she had more or less rejected him in favor of chumming up with the Aes Sedai. It was petty to hold it against her when she must learn the secrets of the Ancients. Yet she'd only paid scant scathing attention to him since Seandra stormed into all their lives, intent on stealing the daft Harry from Pad's sister. His best mate was an idiot for not simply picking one of those silly bints trailing him, but not Neville.

Padma was the lone girl for him and he dearly wished she'd have seen it. She was the complete package for his ideal witch. Outshining or equaling her gorgeous twin and the brilliant Hermione both. Yet a niggling little doubt kept telling him that she was merely settling for him to not compete with the rest after Harry.

"Why wont you speak to me?" she begged from a few paces behind him, "What can I do to fix this? What can I do to see that smile you once kept for just me?"

He remained quiet, wishing he could immerse himself in the Oneness. That and had the way with words his mates had with women. If Harry so wished, he could charm the ladies with a witty quip and a half grin. These were not Neville's specialties.

Studying the dark still slightly misty night's landscape, noting the acrid smoke of yet another town or farm burning from this war, he tried not to choke on it or his lump of tears. What could he say to her after all of this? His Gran would approve of such antics from his witch, as this was her own Modus Operandi. But could he take any more of that in his life?

"Nev?" she pleaded, tears soaking her voice, "Nev, I don't want to lose the one good thing I have all to myself in life. Par can go keep on driving Harry away, but she can't ruin what I want and see in you."

Closing his eyes, he tried not to bite her head off, mindful of Therell's words about Aes Sedai and respect, "You know- You know I want to believe you. Just as I wish to see a day we can both return and teach the truth of the One Power. Only, what did I ever do to you for you to paint me with the same brush Par has with Harry? Why do I have to crawl and beg for your love? I'm not a House Elf. I only stay because I care. I only work hard at Warder training because I know my heart belongs to you. I'm sorry I'm not Harry. But then if I was, would I have you, or just be gift wrapped to Par like you do everything else she wants of yours?"

A quiet gasp escaped her lips like as if he'd slapped her, however she didn't deny it either.

"Never mind I guess. Lets go find Harry." he started to leave, only from behind she wrapped her lithe warm arms around his middle. Wet sniffles were barely audible coming from her face in his shoulder.

"She can't have you. Nev, I want you. I'm sorry I was a weak silly cow." she murmured in a tearful final plea to his heart that she already held.

His heart was breaking though as he asked in a stiff choked voice, "Then what did I do to be treated like I have?"

"Nothing. You've done nothing wrong. You've been the best wizard a girl can hope to ever find let alone have. You don't know how it feels to be trapped, desperately learning as fast as you can a skill it takes most women twenty or thirty years to be declared passable at. All while a red headed strumpet comes flouncing in to poach the man you love. I knew if Harry rebuffed her often enough she'd set her eyes on you. I'm no where as pretty or charming as she can be. I was losing you, plus my sister and the others made me feel awful that I had you while they all pined for the daft blind Harry. I'm sorry Nev, I was going spare and pushed you away because I was a weak silly little chit. Not the woman you need. A woman who is unafraid to let you know how special you are for working and seeing to every detail of our survival."

Grunting in pain of learning what she's been dealing with, he turned around in her arms to hold her to him. To comfort them both. "Shh... Shh... Pads, I'm your wizard through and through. All of you girls don't have to worry about Seandra. Not even those five silly geese chasing Harry. Truth be told he's mad as a hatter for the lot of them. Mad being the optimal word there. But they're not us Pads. They don't know a good thing when it comes around. To me your far better than good. Just seeing you makes me want to work harder at seeing this thing we have work. I'm sorry I didn't see how hard it's been for you too."

Laughing waterily she snorted back tears while trying to hide her face. However he'd never seen her more beautiful in his life as he tilted her face up by her chin to lightly brush her lips with a kiss. She had other ideas as she staked her claim with a scorching kiss for the ages.

"One day I want you to be my Warder. I don't want to take you for granted, but I want you Neville Franklin Longbottom." she informed him through her tears, "I know you've never complained and worked harder than all the other boys. I took that for granted, and I'm sorry."

"I did it all for you." he confessed though tears of his own.

Therell, silent as ever, stood off to the side. With a half visible grin and a short nod the grizzled old Warder faded from sight.

Laying into his chest, Pads sighed, "And now I'll work twice as hard to have you. Please wait for me. It might take years."

Did he have that long? The Taint surely hunted all the boys. And from what they had learned, death would be the mercy at the end of a long run of rotting alive in mind and body.

For her though, he'd wait as long as he could. Maybe one day a cure would come and save his failing her. Tonight though, he'd just hold her. His dusky angel deserved his best.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Eleven : Song and Dance Man

Sluggishly the boat struggled up the wide Manetherendrelle River making their trip slower and harder than Ginny would have wished for. Yet with the gulls screeching and cackling she was glad they were not the vultures and ravens swarming over Ghealdan just now. War had forced the Aes Sedai to slow their journey and eventually take to the river as the highways were choked by armies, refugees, and brash brigands.

At this moment she was glad of not having to see the boys off fighting just yet. It wrenched her heart to see how they were growing more into weapons than men, exactly like any good Warder. The lot had even began to take on an ease with carrying their implements of butchery. The things now looked more an extension of their boys limbs than the unnatural bits of metal they were. In the once goofy wizards' eyes was now a watchful wariness, and a slightly hunted expression. This was only heightened by the terrifying fact that they may go stark raving mad for using magic, or might wind up gentled by the girls' own teachers for the safety of mankind. And if they would have been forced to fight she knew Harry's noble nature would have disallowed him from simply walking away from the cruel butchery of innocents. Once there he was all too likely to use any means available to him to save everyone he could.

On the deck the boys were stripped of their coats and shirts, furiously working the battle forms of their chosen weapons. Sweat was pouring glistening trails down their chests and foreheads under the searing late summer sun scorching them. A sight that fascinated the girls something awfully, and made concentrating on embracing the One Power a neat trick. More when their respective wizard would pause now and again to smile at them. A treat after all the heartache of the tyrannical separation of the road set in place by the lead Aes Sedai and poor communication between the boys and girls. For some this was more troubling as it was still not completely done haunting them.

Harry was smiling less and less these days. To the despair of Ginny and her rival friends.

The start of the downward spiral may have been earlier, but it had been complicated by a moment that at the time seemed small and innocuous to the girls. A stray comment or two were at fault as with most things. Simple misunderstandings really, and had been on a good night too of all times.

Nearing the small port town that they had rode into for taking a boat north, the Aes Sedai had let the girls off early that night so everyone could rest up. Naturally they had sought the boys out in relief of fighting to be more open to Saidar. Hungry for the companionship of their adorable wizards. A small argument had been boiling away with the too pretty interloper Seandra among the already accepted group after the clueless Harry. It was simmering when the two groups reunited. Few fully reckoned the strain the boys still had been under for a long time, and this added tension enhanced the incipient catastrophe.

Angelina and Alicia had been making plans for some time once they had set some rules for themselves and Ginny's wilder brothers down in stone. None in that quartet were willing to become cloned couples of Arthur and Molly Weasley. After discovering the depth of connection that inhabited the Wader bond that held old Therell to Kaliandra, they had made up their minds. Fred and George would be bonded to them as soon as the pair of witches learned how to do it. Of course Tracey found this a spectacular idea for Blaise as well, once there own arguments were put to rest. A reunion that had both Slytherins a bit sheepish for a time. The rest of the girls had taken to discussing the Warder Bond regularly. Every time there was a pause in other conversations in point of fact. None of them were positive how the lot of boys- aside from the twins who actually asked for it- would take to the concept unfortunately.

When they joined the boys that one ill fated night. Eager for some fun, they found their lovely lads one and all in a dark mood. Why they were, was a mystery to this day. Some rot about following after Slytherin and setting fire to the Blight before it happened. Ginny and the girls wanted to get them to open up as this did not sound good at all, but as with most things of late the wizards wouldn't say a word more. This aggravated her and her friends to no end, but the boys had been acting more like the laconic Warders. Bow to the Aes Sedai, grow grim, and then go make the world kneel to their particular Aes Sedai by what ever means necessary.

In this tense atmosphere the silly goose Emmatilde, a farm girl that dreamed of adventure, spoke up longingly, "I don't think I could choose Red. I like boys, but goodness a Green I can't imagine becoming either. Just imagine the scandal people would make of me trailing about a half dozen men wherever I go? What of you Seandra? Do you want a Warder?"

"Yes, I already know who too. Angelina and Alicia aren't the only girls to have a boy waiting for them." tittered the flirty man stealing cow, "It's as good as done."

Simpering like the simpleton she is, Emmatilde asked in a conspiratorial whisper, "Oh, who is it? It's Lemm from Daltron Farm isn't it? He said he'd follow you to Tar Valon."

"No, he's just a silly boy. We're Aes Sedai, and as such need men." purred the cow, stoking an old argument into a blaze once more.

Tracey cooly sniffed, "Careful what you say here. You might find a world of trouble you're unprepared for. Squibs may be able to learn but we'll not let them take our men without a fight."

Harry's eyes glimmered dangerously at that.

"If he wanted any of you he'd have said, but then none of you really treat him well do you?" Seandra sneered coldly, "I've not tossed him over like you lot of shrews."

"That is enough girls." Therell had joined them tiredly, "Claiming a boy when you've not attained your Accepted Bands and Ring is for fool ninnies in need of a come uppance. Some never reach that. Some it takes twenty or so years. Now find a better topic before the Sisters catch wind of this one."

That had Harry stand and mutter in leaving without a single word for any of the girls that truly loved him. Neville made to follow but was stopped at a sad shake of her Harry's head.

Now three weeks on, he's not improved in mood. Even sleeping on deck instead of in the boys cabin. When he talks it was with only the boys or to the old Gleeman that had boarded with them. A haunted worry burned in Ginny's love's eyes whenever she caught a glimpse of them. Hatred flashed now and then when he glanced the Sisters, particularly the two Reds. Also he worked with a frenzied passion at his Warder training, where he was pressing hard the Warder's training him. A fury scorched his words and actions by all that the girls witnessed. But for all his rage he stayed and acted as if he was the Warder for the whole group. It broke her heart to see him tearing himself apart like this.

"He'll be some lucky Sister's salvation." Kaliandra remarked, startling Ginny, "Not a particularly handsome young buck, but nice enough. No, it's his devotion I think."

Blushing Ginny squeaked, "He's already saved my life. Killed a... a monster to do it. Almost dying to do it. That and fought a dark male channelor twice already. Once being for my sake. Lost his family to the same man as well. He doesn't give up."

Althiana purred with a slight lick of her lips, "Magnificent specimen then... My Keres, Olmehd, and Cormat agree that one day he'll be a legend. Never backs down and fights like a lion. Gorgeous traits for a Warder... Enticing."

"He is a true Gryffindor." Ginny giggled in English. This earned her a pair of cool gazes from the two Sisters. "Sorry, it doesn't translate."

"You say that at too convenient of times I think." the disapproving Althiana sniffed.

Harry was stretching out and eying the sky with yearning.

"If he was ready now, I'd bond him now." commented the Green with a near purr, "I still might. Oh yes I still might. Olmehd wants to test him a bit more but that buck has a home in my little collection I do believe. It takes a woman to train a boy into a man..."

In Ginny's mind, she was gnashing her teeth. The hag even try it, and Ginny would gleefully take one of the boats bill hooks to the woman. A flickering smile played on Kaliandra's kind face while she lightly patted Ginny's hand.

"Why does he stare at the sky so often?" Althiana remarked with eyes that studied Harry in ways the youngest Weasley found disturbing.

"He dreams of flying." Hermione gritted out, "Always has."

"Interesting... flight? What a thought." the too interested Green rubbed her chin in thought, "Then he needs a dream to hold him to this Earth."

Olmehd had called Harry out to the practice area. Nodding the boy strode calmly over, his fluid movements made Ginny bite back a sigh. She was supposed to be practicing opening herself to the sublime saidar, not being all silly over a boy she was losing by the day.

The round began. Harry was in his Seeker mode. Quick, daring, and deceptive but more and more he was less defensive and scarily offensive. It was a ballet of death for the people witnessing this. If they had been using real weapons, both men would be bleeding great rivers across the decking. It reminded Ginny of one other reason she dreaded the boys going to fight. They might be maimed or murdered and she was still only opening her strawberry blossom to the One Power. Try as she might, acceptance of life and her place in it came hard to her. She was a girl of action not quiet contemplation and surrender.

Thus she was unfairly unable to help keep her boys safe.

Her would be beau was learning to fight with sword, mace, and knife. Others as well, but those three were his chosen focus. Under the astute, grave tutelage of the Warders this combination of his brand and cudgel were growing deadly. Apart they were still potent in his hands but not as terrible to witness as they were together. Plus if he lost either in the heat of the moment, he is as ready with a knife in either hand. All while a dead darkness would cloud his one time gleaming eyes during these practices. Neville called it the oneness or the Void, and of all the Hogwarts boys Harry was the only one to keep hold of it.

It was thrilling to see his silky whirling even if it frightened her. Dashing this way and that her love moved like he was death made flesh. Not a single wasted movement as far as she could tell, but every step was taking him closer to the killing fields. Each spinning parry or swipe had her ache in the certainty he was going to be butchered or broken on the blood soaked plains of Ghealdan soon.

Althiana had taken to breathing in little gasping breaths with a hand over her bosom. "Yes he has nice potential..."

Flickering flashes of wooden practice tools cracked and clacked as a dirge in Ginny's mind's eye. A soundtrack to the tragedy of her love's life. Thankfully before she broke down in a sobbing fit, Therell called out, "Halt. That's enough for now. Rest my brothers."

Grinning the men all laughed and shook hands. It was morbid, but boys were idiots.

At this Althiana left. Kaliandra spoke to the air, "A good Warder needs to be shown appreciation. It helps their moral. Silly things live in a world of death and immanent violence. It helps to see some light."

Glancing at each other Hermione, Parvati, Luna, Daphne, and Ginny herself superstitiously got up and tried not to rush down to him. Angelina, Alicia, Padma, and Tracey were none too slow either in moving in on their wizards. Ginny praised the Light that Seandra had been too sea sick to be aware of what was going on.

A little thrill coursed down Ginny's back at the sight of Neville gladly meeting Padma halfway. The pair had been cooling off as of late. With the likes of Seandra around back in Coltran's Down, the girls were growing rather distraught that the man thief would target their men. While they had to hop to for the Aes Sedai, Seandra and the boys were growing dreadfully too chummy for the teen witches. For some reason the boys grew distant since then.

Now however for at least these two, she was cheered to note they were back on. The couple only had eyes for each other. All in all a good match.

With his back to them, Harry was talking again to the old gleeman Thom. What he was saying had the girls slow to a stop. "I may not stay in Tar Valon. I have things needing done and I'm unsure if I have long enough of a life span to do it all in."

"Don't go running off to die just yet boy. You're not even a man yet.." Thom suggested with a fraction of a nod to the girls. "Others might take exception to you throwing away your life. Don't be a fool. You can't fight the world alone."

"I can't let them down. Besides I'll be dead soon enough. I feel something. See it almost." Harry's shoulders slumped. "If I could, I'd run off to be a song and dance man like you Thom. Just to live for a change, but I think my old mentor knew I would not live to manhood. He always tells me he wishes for me to enjoy life."

"Could it be he cares?" Thom strummed his harp.

"It could be but I also know I've already fought my family's murderer twice and likely will again. Thom, I killed my first man at eleven and a Shadowspawn like monster by twelve, then faced my parents betrayer by thirteen. My life is geared towards burning out quickly." her love informed the old man, "If I could live a normal happy life I would do it gladly."

Ginny felt her heart twist into a knot, she just wanted to hold Harry tight.

"Then by all means live then when you do have a chance. I believe you have those willing to enjoy it with you." Thom then did nod fully towards her and her rival friends.

Startled Harry turned to them and tears threatened to escape his iron control. As one the girls swarmed him. Even Luna was actually a little teary eyed, in her own way. It was not right for him to feel this way. Why couldn't he see they loved him? All he had to do was ask and any of them would give their life for him. Ginny owed that much and more to the great silly lovable prat. But her love of him wasn't built by a debt. He was about the only person to have noticed her beyond her family on occasion. She had crushed on the boy Harry Potter ever since she saw a photo of him in the Daily Prophet and was drawn to his sad eyes. Then fell hard for him in Kings Cross as he noticed she was alive, then learning whom he was, she became his witch in total. Idiot little chit that she was then, she blurted out her desire to see him and hoped to talk to him. Harry was the only wizard she ever wanted in her life.

Staring at them in horror and longing, he made to resist. As they all stepped a little closer, he stiffened and sobbed, "I'm sorry I can't. I'm twisted and broken. I can't choose not now especially. I'm sick and wrong."

Parvati delicately took his face in her hands, "How long have we went over this. You don't have to choose right now. We keep that for later. Right now you're our hope and my greatest treasure." Her friend gently kissed him, seemingly cracking him physically by how he trembled all over.

"Harry we need you. Don't leave us just to be noble." Hermione took his arm to stabilize him, "Why waste our energy on this world worried about choosing right now?"

Parvati stepped aside, allowing the brunet to kiss their daft wizard. When Hermione took advantage of that, she had him reeling with the passion the normally reserved girl kept hidden away. As their lips met, his tremors stopped as he moaned from the intimate contact.

Yet with the rocking of the boat, so too did his anguish surge back in after Hermione broke the kiss to catch herself from falling.

Backing away he grimaced, "Do you know I want that? I do. Yet I'm afraid. I'm terrified after what I've felt."

Gliding up and patting his face tenderly, Luna stated, "I'm not finished with you yet. I never will be I fear, so you absolutely must stay."

Pausing Harry tried to turn away as great wracking sobs tore his composure to shreds, "You don't understand. You never can thank the Light. I'm dead here and back home."

Turning him to face her Luna stood on tippy toes to lightly kiss him. It had the effect of having him encircling Luna with his arms protectively, "All I really want to do is be here protecting you as long as I have breath. Even... Oh please don't make me name that devil. Don't you understand?"

"I think we all do Potter. Now stop running unless you're bringing us with." Daphne challenged him bravely and out in the open finally, "I'll follow you anywhere. And I mean anywhere Harry Potter."

Gobsmacked he blurted out, "You wouldn't! I wont let you die with me!"

"If you're dead you bloody well can't stop me now can you?" the Slytherin dared him to say more, but tears were leaking down freely from her dark eyes. He reached out and brushed away these as he cupped Daphne's elegant face.

"But I ruined your life by dragging you here?" he wept while the Slytherin beauty nuzzled into his hand.

"No you rescued it. I'm free to love the man of my dreams, and that man is you Harry Potter." she cradled the stunned boys war hardening hand, then flung herself into his arms weeping harder. "My life is not worth it without you in it." She then hissed something that had Harry lean back as he hissed in return. Her nod had the boy hesitantly hiss more before he claimed her lips for a passionate snogging that curled the toes of the other witches watching it.

Not all of the listeners were overly joyous by all that hissing. A crew member nearby stumbled as he did a side stepping double take as he eyed the couple hard. Meanwhile Thom the globe trotting gleeman was twisting and playing with his prodigious thick white mustache.

Daphne broke the kiss with another weepy hiss.

Afraid to be left out, Ginny stood still and watched on in trembling uncertainty.

Her Slytherin friend backed away with her hand out for Ginny. Frightened now too badly to move she was startled when both Daphne and Harry took her hands.

"Hi!" she lamely squeaked out.

His shy smile was a glorious sun to her by how warm it made her feel all over. "Hello Ginny..." Daphne just shook her head and pulled the two of them closer together.

Taking a moment to look her in the eyes her love spoke softly, "Ginny. Who would have thought we'd face the Chamber of Secrets twice now? But this time- But this time I see what I'm fighting for now. Not just my best mates baby sister who puts her elbow in the butter. I see a young woman who I let myself want to get to know more of. Get to know more of though she runs faster than a cheetah when I look her way. I wish I hadn't been a stupid git and got to know her before all this. Forgive me."

Quaking in fear of losing him she squeezed the stuffing out of him, "You're forgiven only if you stay right here mister."

Grunting in surprise he reached up to cup her cheek, letting his thumb brush away a tear, "Till your safe..."

He tilted her chin up to gingerly to place a feathery soft kiss on her lips. For a first kiss ever it rocked her world, however she wanted more and to banish from his mind to leave her behind. With no experience at all with kissing outside of her Harry Potter plushie from when she was five, she pressed her lips into his maybe a touch to forcefully. This was not the fantasy boy of her childhood, this was the man whom cared enough to face a nightmare monster and death for her. Not caring a whit that she was responsible for it or that they hardly knew each other. This was the boy whom now looked ready to go off and die in fear of hurting her and others. Well not on her watch. She loved him and she'd fight for him with all her heart and soul no matter the cost.

Her deepening their kiss took him off guard but soon he was giving her much more than she ever imagined a kiss could hold. His lips lingeringly nibbled on hers as his hands held her face and body up. She was growing dizzy while her toes curled into knots. Weakening from the storm of emotion he poured into her, she leaned more and more into his arms. Though she had scoffed at a Witch Weekly love story that had the witch moaning from the kiss at the end, Ginny did just that herself. This was what she knew love should hold, not some fantasy of pumpkin's turned carriages carrying a witch away from a Ball.

When they broke as she was nearly catatonic from his addicting kiss, he murmured, "I'm so glad I woke up even if it is a bit late."

"Its not too late mister, mister. And its about time you woke up too. We've about ran out of Chambers of Secrets." she giggled lightheadedly, glad of his strong arms aiding her oxygen deprived limbs in standing.

"Now I've seen everything, a Green Warder." Thom mumbled with a smirk as he lit his long stemmed pipe.

Harry reached down into his small coin purse and pulled out two fat gold coin. Flipping them to Thom, he asked with a wide smile. "I owe Ginny some dances and now is as good as any. Probably the best time all things considered. Would you care to play a few?"

"Boy, where under the Light did you find all these Manetheren Eagles?" the old gleeman inquired, but still made the coins vanish before they could even glimmer in the sunlight. "Their extremely rare as they're a few thousand years old."

"Really? Learn something new everyday." Harry laughed in confusion. Ginny was afraid that Thom would run off and tell the Aes Sedai, "We got them from the belly of the Serpent and in a Galaxy far, far away."

"Harry!" Hermione gasped in alarm.

"There is a story in all this but I'm too humble a man to tell it." Thom smirked, "But I can play a suitable tune I wager. You want fast or slow?"

"What would it cost to keep playing for a bit? We've been at a go for ages." Daphne requested with the same hope in her eyes Ginny herself felt, "Please if you would."

Strumming a few notes in no particular fashion or pacing, but more to just test the tuning, Thom answered lightly. "It would be my pleasure milady. Just let me finish tuning. A harp is a delicate touchy instrument."

"No worries. We'll be ready when you are." Parvati assured the man, "We'll just be over there readjusting our wi- man's mind is all." The girls all winced at Par's near use of the word wizard instead of man.

Guiding their noble git of a wizard off to the side, the girls sat him down and proceeded to vigorously make him realize he belonged to them. At first he was resistant again, but five girls to his one kept him in place. Especially armed as they were with the knowledge he refused to hurt them for any reason. Yes it was unfair, but somedays in somethings, being unfair was called for. Making their love see reason was just such a thing.

Having him sit, they each made certain to hold a part of him. Luna, ever the sly and quick thing, had plopped into his lap where she crooned one of her happy nonsense songs. Parvati and Hermione had a shoulder apiece as they sat slightly behind him to lean against his back, hugging him close. Daphne claimed his free hand as his other was busy steadying little Luna. That being the case, Ginny sat down at his feet to lay back against his legs. It felt so natural to lay her head on his knee with Luna taking to petting her hair. They had no room for Seandra here, nope, nope, nope.

His eyes welled with love and devotion for them. I was so simple, he was theirs and they were his. Ginny was under no illusion that any of them would give up on him easily. She absolutely wouldn't, so why would they?

Neville and Padma joined them, holding hands and just a touch mussed. A sight that made Ginny beam. Her plan had worked in part. Neville, who deserved a love of his own, was clearly head over heels for Parvati's twin, as was Padma for him.

"The captain says we'll reach Whitebridge tonight or sometime tomorrow." said the tall blond wizard informatively, "We're supposed to pack everything up incase it's tonight."

He chuckled wryly as none of the Hogwarts lot had unpacked.

"That may be where Emmatilde scurried off to." remarked Luna on the scatter brained Ghealdaner farm girl who had the girls' cabin a right mess.

Eventually the others filtered over to where Harry and them sat as well. Unity was their greatest asset and most effective comfort. All of them needed each other, even the Slytherins. Here those old house rivalries meant nothing. This was a time and place to just be friends.

Thom gave a long trilling strum of his harp finally, "I'm ready if you all still wish for a dance or two. Though if we make port tonight, we all should be ready to leave when it's time. Captains like our's here get testy if made to wait."

"We're already packed ourselves." Harry grinned impishly, "We just don't trust our things to anyone. A hazard of our circumstances."

Thom laughed and began some testing notes, while the group stood up and sorted themselves out. With the central clear area not nearly as big as the Inn at Coltran's Downs, they decided five couples at a time would work. All five of the boys would eventually dance with all nine of the girls. It was awkward, but as best as they could do right then.

In the first group hand in hand with Harry was Ginny. She wanted desperately to enjoy some time with Harry. Which was exactly what she got as they spun and skipped, sidestepped and twirled about the small clearing. Gazing the whole time into each other's eyes, her and him were in a world all their own. When the time came for the pass, she was deliriously happy as she was swept into George's arms. In her love's green pool like eyes had been pure adoration, hope, and a bourgeoning love that stole her breath.

"You look pleased little sister. Did you drown Seandra when none of us were looking?" teased her brother with a rakish wink.

"No, but it's an idea. George, Harry loves me. I've seen it!" she confided with her cheeks and ears burning.

Worry flickered on her sibling's face, "You realize he's not liable to pick you or any witch? He's afraid of the future, and frankly I agree. Going the way Slytherin did may be our only choice. Me and Fred are staying around for a bit till we- Well the Old Snake King might have had the right of it."

That floored Ginny. She refused to accept losing her brothers and Harry in one fell swoop. There had to be something that could be done for them. "Maybe... maybe you all could go home now. Leave us girls and return back there. It's where we belong anyway."

"We've thought of that little Ginnikins. We wont leave you lot, and the Sisters wont let you go. So we stay." George replied after a time of just smiling at her. As she spluttered out inanely to deny them this idiocy it was time to be passed to Fred.

Catching her, he smiled on her too, unnerving her when he spoke, "It really is for the best baby sister our's. At least this way some of us will have learned the truth and be able to bring it back. We've all dedicated our lives to giving you this time, to keep you safe in whatever way we can."

Hearing her roguish pair of brothers talk this way was terrible. "Why haven't you lot told us all till now? We could've left already. Went back and forced our way out of Slytherin's Chamber. We could have!"

"Maybe, but then we'll never know will we." Fred laughed in self derision. "But lets not get all weepy just yet. We may find a way to avoid Slytherin's Fate."

Pensively she relented for the moment, staying silent as the dance went on. Both Blaise and Neville were giving her rueful smiles as well. She shared a horrified look with the other girls. All of them were equally as horrified and heartsick as she. Having avoided slavery for the witches, war in Ghealdan, the bitter attempts to break them apart, and starvation in the Chamber of Secrets itself they were losing the boys anyway. They had not learned soon enough to get home and away from this mad house world. The girls had in a sense signed the death sentences for their boys. It was twisted and wrong, but their choices so far had been so terribly limited.

Spun around and caught by Harry for the final turn, Ginny wanted to weep and wail. However her kind gentle wizard needed strengthening love to keep on fighting. She would not jinx him by being pulled into some pre-mourning pile of mush that would sap his will to stand strong. It hurt and was unnatural, but she would do it. She did do it and kept at it even after the last step and twanging chord.

When that happened she flung herself into him and snogged them both crosseyed. Somehow she had to keep him safe and home with her, "Harry don't you dare give up. Don't you dare."

"Do I ever?" he held her close, petting her hair, "If Voldemort can't get me to, then this wont either. Though I will never see you hurt by something, anything I could prevent."

Trying to make out a way to dissuade him from ever leaving her she choked out, "Good, and don't dare forget it." She hugged him tight till he was safely secured in Daphne's arms. They may be rival's for him but they were united in wishing he stay right at their sides.

It also effectively parried the clawing grasp of Seandra whom had just wobbled up on deck, insisting on joining in with them. The red headed tart interloper had to settle for stumbling into Blaise for a spot in the rotational dance.

Off to the side, at the bow of the deck, was where Ginny, Angelina, Alicia, Tracey, and Padma gathered to watch and discuss this travesty in a hushed whisper. Even if it was in English and not in Common Tongue, they didn't wish to be overheard. Meanings could still be understood from the tones used.

"Do we dare let them escort us to Tar Valon? That is pressing everyone's luck just a bit." Sniffed Tracey with a dark glare for Seandra, "I don't like it now with the Reds we have here. What if Fred and George pull another Canary Cream incident? I played off the blame for that one, but how many times can we do that?"

Nodding stiffly Padma eyed Neville somberly, "My Nev is bad about accidental magic. It just bubbles away in him. The more it escapes, the more terrified he gets. When that happens he tries even harder to block it off. Adding the stress that builds up more."

Heartsick Ginny sniffles in a deep breath. Her own man had that same problem. Magic seeped out of him constantly. At Hogwarts he could let it go, but here it was worse than at #4 Privat Drive. There he might get a reprimand and a few days of no food, but here though was far different reactions. Here his sort were considered dangerous animals, or less than animals by how the Reds acted. Nations would rise up to hunt him down in order to put him down as if he was rabid, and in extreme cases his sort can be far worse. It was the creed and reason for the existence of the Red Ajah to see such work done with brutal efficiency.

But then she wouldn't live without him ever again. "I'm going to sound selfish. Just hear me out though. Harry and the other boys need to learn how to control things, but us and them don't do well on our own. We balance each other in so many ways I can't count. Maybe if they're with us, we can do what we can to alleviate some of the stress. You know, help calm them. Give them reasons to go on living. They already know some control, we just have to support them. Plus this Warder training they're about might build up their discipline."

They all stared at her then each other. Each girl had to weigh it and judge her logic, or lack there of.

However before they could debate it any more they were interrupted by a very unwelcome invader all things considered.

"What little dirty tricks are you all plotting?" Naleva coldly inquired as if she were spying on them the whole time, "Up here speaking a language the rest of us can't understand too. You're tricks with the pastries was cute to simpletons but not me. From now on I don't wish to hear any word spoken of that _Tongue_ you use. I don't care if it's from your mysterious homeland. You serve the White Tower now, no where else matters."

"Yes Naleva Sedai." they intoned in unison.

"Now that we have reached an understanding in this, I also seem to remember my warnings about dangerous fraternization. As your little dance is one such I think it's time you all come with me. I'll find some useful work for your idle hands." the woman strode away and they knew that it was follow or be in serious trouble.

Passing the dancers, Naleva Sedai clapped her hands once, stopping the moment of pleasure the rest were still enjoying. Ironically just when Seandra was to be passed to Harry. Trying to hide a satisfied smirk at that small blessing, Ginny wished once more for a return to Hogwarts. But there hid a fear inside her that none of them ever will make it home whole and sane, if ever.

The night was spent scrubbing clean the Aes Sedai's cabins and their own. Hovering over them like a vindictive harpy, Naleva spent the time haranguing them some more about the evils of men. Waxing poetic over how the whole sex was less than human. Telling them of horrors perpetrated on innocent girls such as themselves, by boys just like the ones with them. Explaining in excruciating detail the dark depths that lurked in every man's heart. Especially boys nearing manhood, and how they were driven to be monsters by this demonic sounding need to despoil every upright female they come across.

Poor Emmetilde was wide eyed and frightened. In Ginny's humble opinion that girl was too weak and simpleminded to last long under Aes Sedai teaching methods. If the ninny made it, she would not be a very strong figure to look up to for younger witches.

By the time morning came, the girls had barely managed to catch a scant couple hours of sleep at most. A personal wish to use a bat boogie hex on the smug haughty faced Naleva Sedai boiled away in Ginny's weary mind. One day she might well do that to the ugly cow, but not until the Hogwarts witches had finished needing these Aes Sedai. Oh but great will be the suffering of Naleva Sedai.

Up on deck, Ginny found Thom staring up river towards a breathtaking sight. An enormous elegant white glass bridge spanned the river. Astonishingly people were traveling the majestic seemingly frail expanse without fear, as if it were normal to do this. It was a sight she would never forget or ever be able to adequately describe to others when and if she returned home. Not unless she found a pensive, and even then it may be dismissed out of hand by the jaded insular world she once belonged to. Magic was great but they could never build something like this nor could the muggles they hid from. This was incredible and humbling.

"You take care of that boy, you hear me girl." Thom grumbled with his pack already up on his shoulder to disembark immediately, "He needs you, even if he can't say it. I don't know where you all hale from but you're fine if innocent folks. If I didn't feel the pull to be elsewhere I might've traveled with you. I smell a fine tale being made by you all, but I guess it will be up to some other soul to record it as best as a mortal can."

Digging into her own small purse Ginny pulled out a large handful of coins, "I don't know where you're going but take these to pay your way. You helped us more than you could know. We owe you. I owe you."

"As your boy has so eloquently said before, I'm just a simple song and dance man. I've never been good at being more. So you keep it. You'll like as not need it later." the old man snorted in reply his eyes twinkling more than even Dumbledore's ever could.

"No we really don't. So if you don't take it I'll toss it over. It belongs to you, not us. We're just travelers lost along our way. You I'm afraid will need it more." she insisted, even stepping over to the rail threateningly. Sighing he made the lot vanish in a fabulous display of muggle slight of hand.

"Well maybe I'll head north and winter away this war. Bearlon sounds good enough for that." he let her hug him fiercely.


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

($parseltongue$)

Chapter Twelve: The Road Goes Ever On

An uncomfortable wind blew across the road. To the locals, this brown packed dusty stretch of earth may be called a highway, but Daphne could hardly call it that. Even purebloods could tell that the muggles back home were not without skill, and a wide paved highway was loads better than this bloody thing. And now it was a choking cold road to misery.

Primly seated upon her placid grey mare, she dreamed of being away from this ruddy rotten world. Part of this was her discomfort, a small part. Most of it was worry for Harry, the wizard she'd desired since she first learned his story and grew mad for when he spoke parseltongue second year. They seemed a natural pair, if not for her being Slytherin and him Gryffindor. Now that didn't matter and yet the bloody Pattern or fate was intervening again. To spite them and stop them from enjoying what they were finding in each other.

Fighting boredom from the tedium of this mode of travel, she and the other girls were practicing their embracing of Saidar. After all the endless drilling, Daphne could open her namesake flower without thinking of it. Now the trick was to willingly let it go of their own accord. That took much more force of will as it was closer to willingly cutting off a limb by how connected a witch felt to her surroundings. This was why the girls were "lighting up" as Hermione dubbed it, in a blinking set of lights. Women channelors were visible to others when they held the One Power, thus the Aes Sedai knew if they did not release as instructed. So on, off, on, off, on again and gritting their teeth they strove to release the blissful majesty of Saidar. At least this was the case for the Hogwarts pack of witches. Poor Emmatilde was still trying to regularly touch the One Power at all, and Seandra was far more interested in the boys. Primarily Daphne's man in particular though she did cast glances Neville's way now and again. The boys just remained polite if aloof.

Speaking of whom were at this time arrayed out around the girls and aggrieved looking Naleva. Currently Kaliandra was discussing something with Therell up the road from them. All the boys despised Naleva and she fully returned the sentiment. For the girls the hate grew by leaps and bounds from that. Where Kaliandra was a gentle caring grandmotherly figure, Naleva was the bitter spinster great aunt who insisted all children must be beaten daily and twice on Sunday.

At Whitebridge they had met a force of Queen's Guards, Tower Guards, and twenty Sisters, Rad and Green with a near army of their own Warders. These had been given the command to join the embattled forces already confronting Logain in burning Ghealdan. The lead Sister had swiftly conscripted Althiana, her three Warders, Taymirin, and the Tower Guardsmen with them. If not for a fear that some disaster might befall the band of future Novices, they would have taken these two weaker Sisters, Therell, and everyone of the boys to boot. Plus as the lead Sister was a Red, she was unwilling to let the librarian like Brown Ajah steal a march on her Ajah. The group of girls collected was a precious treasure more valuable than glory in beating Logain. Nine naturally talented and two trainable witches were a treasure trove to bring an Ajah glory for uncounted years. So the Red sent the infuriated Naleva to be co-discoverer of the lot.

On, off, on, off Daphne and the girls went. Tugging closer her cloak in an attempt to ward off the chills she felt building in her spine, she glanced Harry's way. Her heart double beat at how cool and calm he was. If things worked out and they returned to Hogwarts, he would break hearts by the score by simply being. Only he would be hers, and Draco's pasty pallid self could go burn. Crabbe would like as not lose an arm in the least if he tried to touch Daphne Sedai, as her Warder Harry would all to gladly separate it from his body.

Small things were watched and listened to by Harry and indeed all the boys. Even Neville had began to shed his chubby soft obliviousness and now was a golden giant that had a wary elegance about him. All five were less and less the goofy lot of boys they once knew, and more a pack of hunting wolves.

On, off, on, off, and on again she rode on. Tracey rode up beside her blinking along as well. Worry etched across a face that once was never without a smile for long. "When do you think we'll be allowed to use it? We've been at this forever and have yet to perform a single weave."

"Patience child." Kaliandra called out to them, "Don't be in such a hurry to be an old woman. This road we take is longer than you can grasp just yet. Let time flow past at its own pace. If you do not, you will miss the beauty of the journey."

"Yes Kaliandra Sedai." they intoned as one.

"May I ask a question Kaliandra Sedai?" Tracey asked pensively.

"I believe you just did child, but you may ask another." the kindly old woman replied.

Had that been a bit of humor from an Aes Sedai? Daphne asked herself while listening to what Tracey wished to know.

"Thank you Aes Sedai." her cousin tried not to grin as she questioned, "It's getting colder and colder, are we going to make it to Tar Valon before winter comes in?"

"Impudent child." hissed Naleva reproachfully, "When we get to Tar Valon is not your concern. Learn your place or you will fail."

Naleva was Snape in a dress. Daphne decided as she prayed Kaliandra would go on and answer them. Spending two weeks in Whitebridge, as the group of Logain hunting witches debated over if they should take the girls with the army, had made them traveling even later in this season. Months had slipped past terribly faster than any of the Hogwarts sojourning band liked.

Then it was a slow plodding journey to this vaunted Aes Sedai equivalent to Hogwarts. Barely going through a town at all without stopping. Often as not they stopped for longer than one night in every town along the way. But then if they rushed it, the boys would be in danger of capture by the Aes Sedai for gentling.

"We will most likely make it unless the Pattern works in the unforseen." Kaliandra answered.

Harry hissed quietly in Parseltongue, $In other words they're clueless.$

His use of snake speak had the ever sharp and hateful Naleva turn sharply to see who had said something. The Aes Sedai did not understand it, but anyone speaking at all unless she could eavesdrop in on the conversation was forbidden. This turned things into a game of cat and mouse between Harry and the Red Sister. One Naleva had set out to stop. He had already hissed one night to Daphne he'd turn the Aes Sedai into a balloon like he had his aunt if she did catch them.

"Thank you Kaliandra Sedai." Tracey bowed, hiding a smile.

On, off, on, off, on, and again off they went. A repetitive monotony that had the farmland meld into a green and yellow mass. Trees had began to turn along the way. Golds, reds, and yellows were replacing a bright rich green summer. Some were commenting that fall had come too early in along their way. Some said it was Logain and that it was the End of the Age. Most grew irrate at those comments.

Off, on, and off their horses kept struggling against the wind.

If only they could learn and practice weaves along the way. It would speed up their training time so much more. Make it more like home. Or more to make it home all the sooner.

"Kaliandra Sedai are there restrictions on using the One Power in front of muggles- I mean non-gifted? Like for children till they've reached an age to learn." she blurted out in frustration and received horrified glances from her fellow Hogwarts girls, the boys glanced but tried to not look it.

"Well it is discouraged by locals, and is against the law in Amadicia and Tear. The city of Far Madding has it's own ways of stopping a person from touching the True Source. But as for ourselves it is an act of self restraint to not channel all the time. The forbidding of a child using the One Power has never been a problem. These are odd questions for a Novice such as yourself. What spurred this line of inquiries on?" the kind old Brown Sister replied questioningly. Naleva also pulled up to listen for any trickery no doubt.

Hermione was near to having an apoplectic fit behind the cold hearted Red Sister.

"It just seems curious is all, Kaliandra Sedai." Daphne tried not to answer more.

"Indeed it is child." the Brown smiled and rode forward.

Her fellow witches eyed her in exasperation.

Harry hissed, $They know so much, but so very little as well.$

$Indeed.$ she hissed in return with a sheepish smile, $But if they did know the Trace, you lot would've been caught.$

Naleva was glaring at her murderously, "What was that?"

"Allergies Naleva Sedai. None of us are used to being here." Ginny covered for them.

On, off, on, off, on it went ever more. How Daphne just dreamed of actually using the One Power. To let her natural abilities shine. It must be murder for the boys. Even a simple _Lumos_ would literally brighten her day, but it would earn her a sharp reprimand. In the boys case it would send them to the block.

She idly thought of turning Naleva into various things, both vegetable and animal, to ease the strain of having but not using magic.

Off and on, hold and release, open herself to close herself yet again.

On, off, on, off, on she was becoming rather adept at this.

Traffic had increased on the road leading to more and more brushes with others. Often times it led to nothing, but too infrequently it led to angry words or threats tossed their way. However with six well armed men guarding the girls, the ones yelling usually paled before shrinking in on themselves.

On, off, on, off, and again on, Daphne was surprised to see the outline of a ragged unwashed town ahead. Unlike the others she'd witnessed before, this one reeked of being a thoroughly disreputable pigsty. She could almost believe some fool in Knockturn Alley set their sight on building a town, and this was the filthy result.

Shuddering at how tonight would like as not be a chore to endure, like spending extra time with Crabbe back home. They should probably just ride on through and settle on hardtack even as much as she despised the nasty stuff. Out under the stars she would have less misgivings about waking up covered head to toe in fleas. Plus if she was lucky a moment or two with her wizard could hopefully be found.

"We should ride on. Four Kings is not a suitable location to expose young girls to." Naleva shockingly suggested, "Young men shouldn't be either for that matter."

Smiling dismissively Kaliandra replied, "We can not coddle them forever Naleva. An experience or two in these sort of places is a valuable teaching aid. Do not steal all of their learning about life."

"Some experiences are better left out of a life." the Red cut back in reply.

Daphne could hardly believe that she would ever agree with the villainous Red Sister. Yet the town made Naleva's point as soon as they were riding in its muck filled confines. Workmen, wagoners, and merchants mostly populated the rotten rut scarred street.

Each of the girls pursed or bit their lips at the doom awaiting them in the misnamed Four Kings. They also all embraced and held Saidar. Their wizard warrior guards all eased their weapons into readiness.

If any witch had been looking they would have been near blinded by the nine Hogwarts girls holding onto the True Source. Busily thinking of all her charms and jinxes, Daphne made ready to launch a defense. How it felt to cast and how it felt to ready her spells. She could do this. She would not retrieve her wand.

At the finest looking Inn was several Whitecloak guards milling about. So it was passed up. Next came a less reputable place that had rooms for them. Three in fact. Cursing the Wheel and Fate the witches refused to let go of the Power now. Which earned them a patronizing smile from Kaliandra.

Leering drunken men were making the girls, even Luna nervous. Those blighters soon began calling out numerous unsavory suggestions for what the witches should be doing. But most grew silent after the boys and Therell returned to guarding the women from settling in their horses. Not even the faces of the Aes Sedai had done that, as drunk men didn't see flawless faces as anything but more reason to push. However six armed and dangerous men could put a lot of sobriety in any but the most foolish.

They were in luck that this Inn had a semi-formal dining hall in addition to the main public one. In it was two well off men doing business, a noble looking lady and her young handmaid, three somberly dressed merchants drinking wine, and finally a woman who could only be an Aes Sedai and her brooding companion, her Warder.

This last pair turned to regard Kaliandra and Naleva, then the girls. Daphne felt a slight shift of power. Her and her friends were not adept yet at judging inherent ability but were good enough now to tell that this dark haired, dark eyed woman was far above any full Aes Sedai they'd met thus far. She also had Naleva gritting her teeth for some unknown and maybe vital reason.

"Moraine." Kaliandra smiled warily but not unpleasantly.

"Kaliandra, it's been a long time. Are you no longer avoiding the rest of us? I distinctly remember your vow to let us all hang. Not that I disagree with the sentiment on occasion." the small dark haired Aes Sedai smiled invitingly, "Well in any case we can all be civil and share a meal. I see that you have found an intriguing collection of postulants. Even a few to keep old Therell occupied as well. Such a nice surprise to see you caring for the growth of the White Tower when it was less than welcoming to your thoughts on the improvements to the education of the new Novices. If I remember right you and Sheriam had a few choice words that frightened the doves nesting in the old Ogier Grove."

Daphne was feeling that this woman was not one to make an enemy of. If she had been in Slytherin, she would have ruled the House even with Snape favoring Draco. Paying attention to Moraine would aid Daphne to no end.

"I believe I will just eat in my room. I'm feeling out of sorts" Naleva gritted out.

"Nonsense, we have room and we can all rest easier among each other. Alone we begin to see things in a less than friendly view." Moraine lightly rebuffed that.

Daphne so much wanted to sit at the feet of this woman and learn. Kaliandra was an excellent teacher and grandmother figure but she was also more what Padma and Hermione might one day be.

Glancing at Tracey, she saw the same gleam of desire. Even Blaise had a grin at this encounter. The fine art of conversational warfare was just as vital as running a sword into a man's belly. Seating themselves with the pair, Daphne and company relaxed a little and finally let go of Saidar. Which earned a near smirk from the Aes Sedai.

"You've been teaching them more than is usual. Sheriam will be trilled I'm sure." Moraine noted dryly as she sipped a wine.

"It was needed. They are Wilders, but not like any I've ever studied before. In a strange way they were already trained and had the same callus eagerness to be training in the One Power. Almost as if they were born and raised in Tar Valon, yet all have no concept of measured pacing in learning. In a way they are already beyond the initial stages of becoming Novices, if only for their not knowing the first basic step of embracing Saidar. Highly entertaining research subjects If left alone I would not have been dismayed if we found their strangeness spread. Or that the dears had built a settlement where I found them as they are all speakers of the same queer sounding tongue that is both advanced and crudely angular sounding. Dear things had to be taught the Common Tongue in order for anyone to under stand them at all." Kaliandra partly rambled on as if to a favorite friend and pupil, "In all they shall be a great prize to the White Tower as Aes Sedai and study subjects."

Harry surreptitiously hissed$Feel like a Lab Rat?$

Daphne nodded cautiously, thankful that Naleva was too busy glaring daggers into the queenly serene Moraine to notice.

"Studies? You Browns do love those but don't be surprised if the snake bites you in the end." Moraine's eyes had zeroed in on Harry and Daphne with a twitch of a smile.

She bloody well knew they were talking!

"I am finding them curious as well. Tell me, have you an idea where they came from?" Moraine was studying them but focusing on the boys more than the witches.

"I do." was all Kaliandra said as a victorious smile played on her lips, "I do indeed."

All of the Hogwarts band cringed in fear at that pronouncement. Had they gave too much away? Daphne felt sick with fear that the game was up.

"Oh really? Do tell." the new comer Aes Sedai inquired.

"From elsewhere. They were wandering the Mountains of Mist. They were lucky the Whitecloaks did not find them before I did. Just a word of warning, they have no awe of our sisterhood. Their leader, that young man there," Kaliandra pointed to Harry with a nod of her head his direction. "With the unsightly scar and things covering his eyes. I strongly those are for his sight. He has no regard whatsoever. If I did not trust his basically good nature and these fine five young ladies, he would have me and Naleva stuffed in burlap sacks and hung in an out of the way tree. Even with our combined talents brought to bare." Kaliandra only half joked. Hearing that Harry had the good sense to blush at that.

"He's a dangerous villain I wager." the Red Sister snapped then.

"He's a boy protecting those he cares for." the older Brown replied curtly.

Food was brought and for most of the group, conversation took a backseat to the important work of eating. Naleva ate only a little before vanishing. The parting was not without relief for the Hogwarts crew, but not limited to them as Moraine's eyes lost a tightness that Daphne had not realized was there. It told her that there was no love lost between the two strong willed women.

"You will have to pardon my less than civil companion. She lost her chance to catch Logain. It has put her in a foul mood for weeks." Kaliandra apologized.

"Reds and their hate." sighed Moraine, though to the Slytherin eyes of Daphne the witch had relaxed a modicum here.

"Is that your Blue showing through?" teased the old Brown.

"Possibly, but I've been away from the Tower for years now. Last time I stayed longer than a night there she had been a newly raised Accepted pet of Elaida. The girl was never far from following after that One. Sad really as she held a gentle nature as a Novice I hear." wondered Moraine pensively, "I do not miss the White Tower in many ways."

"I can agree. I remember taking you to task for depositing a full mop bucket on Elaida. Even as Novices you two hated each other. It's no wonder you were bound for the Blue when she went Red. Are you returning as I seem to be? No doubt Suian will welcome you home with open arms. You two were so very close." Kaliandra questioned lightly, leaving the Slytherins striving to decipher that last.

"Not yet, but soon I believe." the regal seeming Aes Sedai looked off into nothingness for less than a few seconds. "I can hope, but the Wheel weaves as the Wheel wills."

The conversation turned then to topics less about the White Tower or the Hogwarts band of misfits. It was light and friendly, but not overly enlightening. More of a sparring match between two parties that oft crossed paths. Sometimes in friendliness other times in less than civil manner. Clearly the more adept at this was Moraine Sedai, but Kaliandra was no slouch at the game either. This was a game Daphne must master to protect her Harry. None of the other girls saw that this was where he was weakest. As impressive as he could be on the whole, he had amply proven himself less than tactful. A right and true Gryffindor, yet if he had let the Sorting Hat have its way he may have turned out differently. Most likely landing in Slytherin with her where he would have learned quickly to become a wizard capable at the social warfare playing out here. But if he had, would he be the man she loved to distraction?

"With so many of them, the Tower will be overjoyed. If only it was a bit clearer as to their potency we're witnessing with them." Moraine pointed out in passing which dragged the topic of the teen witches back to the forefront. "I feel them and know its there, but it's quite hazy. Similar to a fog."

"Yet more reason to study them." Kaliandra affirmed, "It's as if they were trapped under a jar or bowl."

This pricked Hermione to listen closer. Pausing to silently write notes, the muggleborn witch listened closely.

Exhausted beyond measure, Dapne made her excuses to leave. Dignity and decorum demanded she vacate the room and seek her bed. The other girls began to follow suite. Harry and the boys stood while beginning to array themselves to clear a way for the girls. This caused the Aes Sedai to smirk once again, but the two Warders both gave curt nods of approval. However she was beginning to feel that even with a few fleas she could make use of a bed rather soon. Had all their turning on and off been wearing them down?

In the hall the cool air partially revived them all. Reinvigorated to where they realized one vital fact. Naleva was in bed already, and the other two Sisters were not around.

"Harry?" Daphne asked upon nearing him, "Do you mind if we talk some while we're free of listeners?"

The other girls were catching on and catching hold of their own dashing wizards. If only Emmatilde and Seandra weren't around as well. The former was barging in on Padma and Neville while the red headed cow was prowling for a piece of Harry.

Smiling at the witches around him, Harry chortled, "Doesn't look like I have a choice."

"No you don't mister, mister." Ginny patted his cheek with a wink.

Joining Hermione in taking a hand apiece, Daphne was eager to lead him to the girls' room. Unfortunately a barmaid and a soused patron appeared in the hallway coming up from the servants staircase. The couple were laughing and snogging every few feet. This seemed to rouse the slumbering Naleva who violently swung her door open to balefully glare out on the world. Sighting them she scrutinized them in a swift twitch of the eye. Thankfully none but the drunken muggles were actually groping each other.

Said couple were unconcerned as they pushed their way into a room adjacent to the tired girls. Seizing the opportunity, Daphne snogged her love goodnight, as did the other ladies. Well Emmatilde tried to flirt one out of Neville, but failed spectacularly as he merely stammered goodnight and clung to Padma in self defense. Seandra had more luck as she zipped in and took control of Harry, actually managing to brush her lips against his. Ginny though made an excellent impersonation of Naleva's grunt of disgust, and away from Harry shot the Ghealdaner girl with terror in her eyes. The fives' rival never suspected it was a ruse.

Hermione quickly grabbed the frightened girl's elbow and rushed to their room. Following a step or two behind were the rest of the future Novices. What they found inside the room alarmed them. All of their things had been ruthlessly rifled through, everything save the hidden extendable charmed bags of the Hogwarts teens. Thus all in those were still safe. Poor Emmatilde and Seandra were devastated by how every ounce of what they had was tossed about and torn in places.

The normally cheery if daft Emmatilde was sobbing uncontrollably while she held a night shift with delicate embroidered song birds. The garment was ripped nearly in two. It broke the Hogwarts sets hearts to see this senseless attack.

Without a thought Daphne cast, " _Reparo!_ " It happened so fast she scared herself.

She had embraced Saidar and even did the wrist movement for the wand, weaving a beautiful braid that fixed up Emmatilde's night rode without a problem.

"Blood and ashes! You channeled!" Seandra gasped.

Emmatilde, whom now was holding up in a gobsmacked inspection her treasured garment squealed and slammed into a still stunned Daphne with a hug, "Thank you! Thank you, my Granna sewn this for me when the Women's Circle decided I was old enough to marry."

"So that's how it's done." whispered Hermione, "I saw it before it disappeared."

"That's good, because I missed it." Daphne trembled while petting the weeping Ghealdaner, "I'm glad I could help Emmatilde."

Had she just gave away their secret? She couldn't think too clearly just then for all the fear she felt.

Their door banged open and in rushed the Aes Sedai, their eyes wild and wide.

Naleva blurted out, "What did you do? I felt it, you can not lie to me."

"Naleva, look at their room. I think they have a right to a little channeling from the shock of it. Therell the girls are to be guarded all night. If we have a sneak thief this brave, then less savory sorts might try for more." Kaliandra commanded her aged Warder.

Excited and full of adoration for Daphne, Emmatilde charged over with her good as new nighty, "Daphne repaired it. She saved it for me Kaliandra Sedai. Waved her arm and said a funny word over it. And can you believe it, she saved it for me!"

Cringing in on herself, Daphne was prepared to fight their way out of there for being filthy Stick Shakers. If they already knew the Hogwarts girls were Wilders they could easily deduce they were wand welders as well.

"Indeed she did. Very nicely as I can not see any damage." Moraine smiled at Daphne.

"I had specifically forbade using another language. Yet here you do it without thought. Well I'll see a-!" Naleva started only to be cut off by Moraine.

"I believe that what was done is more than simply saying a word. Wilders develop their own quirks. This must be the child's form of it. Not that we should encourage these traits, but also not be so blind to the existence of them." the Blue Sister smiled weighing the Hogwarts girls. "This may be the key to training them. Let them do their tricks then have them work to recreate it without the frivolous nonsense about it."

Having heard that Daphne prayed they could and not give up their wands. If things soured here much quicker they might need them to flee. And if they found the girls' wands, they may discover the boys as well.

She must protect her Harry at all cost.

Taking a calming breath she opened herself to Saidar and cast, " _Lumos!_ "

At the crux of her thumb and forefinger was the ball of light she usually had at the tip of her wand for that charm. Biting back their own horror, the other Hogwarts witches cast similar spells of little or no import.

A wide approving smile spread across the faces of Moraine and Kaliandra. Naleva looked even more sour as she watched the display. Yet Daphne was thrilled beyond measure as she gazed on her glowing ball of light.

In the far corner of the room, Luna dreamily sighed, "It was becoming rather hard to resist much longer."

The little blond's ball of water was skipping about the room making tiny giggling noises as it bobbled about in the air. All the girls were breaking down into giggles with it.

However off to the side of the door was Harry looking in. What caused her spell to falter was the tears forming in his eyes. Turning he disappeared from view as quietly as a ghost, and nearly as pale as one.

"It seems we've found a patch of this road I've never traveled before." Kaliandra beamed upon all of the Hogwarts girls, "In fact I know I haven't."


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Thirteen : The Storms of Life

Storm clouds had chased them the last of the way to Caemlyn. Blessedly they cleared out enough to dazzle the eyes of the road weary band of travelers at the majesty of Andor. It took real effort on Hermione's part not to goggle like a simpleton at the magnificent ancient city. Were all cities here as beautiful? Not that it topped the vastness of the modern wonders of London and Paris. But for a city that has supposedly stood for close on twenty plus thousand years it humbled her jaded eyes. This was what had been lost in her own Earth, and it was awesome to witness firsthand. However even here the war in Ghealdan was leaving a mark as it had hoards crowding into it's gleaming white walls. Not all that were sheltering inside were there for sanctuary, or if they were they had been turned by the less than savory sorts.

Whitecloaks had began to file into the city by the scores side by side with the displaced refugees from Ghealdan. Where these blighted souls trooped trouble followed as their bigoted vitriol spewed from them like a rank flood.

A vendor had set up shop selling red and white cords for people to wear. Mostly these were men with a fire in their eyes. At a glance for a Whitecloak squad shoving their way through the crowd the boys had all stopped and pointedly bought scads of red. Even buying uncut squares to wrap around the heads of their maces. With them came other men purchasing red, daring the Whitecloaks to say a word.

One big fellow chuckled in question of Harry's decision, "So where do your loyalties really lay? You look and sound foreign."

"To the Lion's." was her love's simple reply, "We come from afar, but a Lion is a Lion always if they are of any worth."

"To true. Tell you what if your lot here need a warm welcome to stay here in the city, I know the best for you. Go to the Queen's Blessing, old Gill will see you right." The fellow cheered, "To all good Lion's! Huzza!"

"HUZZA!"the gathered men around including the boys roared causing the Naziesque Whitecloaks to stumble in uncertainty.

When the boys remounted their horses, even Blaise joined in the continued cheering that had now put the gleaming bigots to take to their heels. At least until out of earshot of those now chanting men in red, "I didn't have the heart to tell him I'm a true Snake."

"How did you know about the Lions?" Alicia asked suddenly.

"I only told the truth of who I am." remarked Harry distantly, his eyes taking in the whole street around them as if they were about to be assaulted.

Since they had been allowed to do minor channeling now, all the witches had taken advantage of the opportunity. Like how Luna was playing with an Air weave to make her hair stand in weird ways. However the boys had still continued to grow more the cool grim Warders they were training to become. With every passing day and mile of this long journey, their wizards had took to resembling Therell than boys. Those lovely blokes they once had been at the Yule Ball were near one and all dead. Switched by these dreamy if terrifying men that moved with unnatural silent grace. Hermione knew that some break had occurred, but was clueless as to how she could solve it. Even if she had difficulty in not ogling her Harry's new sleek muscularity that moved in such delightful ways.

Merlin and Light preserve her if he wasn't a sight to fire her dreams in ways her mum would scold her for.

She needed to focus, and that took study and a good library. Calm and free of worry or visions of masculine perfection gliding beside her.

Snow began to swirl around them and the rest of the cities denizens. Hordes of others pushed their ways to places of warmth and the finest meals they could afford. Desires for cheery fires that held at bay the cold and hot food that anchored it inside a person teased them all. Secretly she hoped a Gleeman or other musician occupied the place they wound up in too. Song and dance seemed to soften her Harry. Let him open up a bit more to her and her rival friends.

Therell had drifted back and patted Harry's back approvingly before splitting off from the group. With the man gone, her love took charge of the wizards. Not saying a thing, but all the other boys had shifted to see what he wished of them. At a couple nods they wordlessly switched up places they rode to arrange themselves for maximum coverage of the witches. His slight tilt of his head had them return to watching the crowds for any threats.

"We should present ourselves at court." Naleva gritted out with a glimmer of terror in her eyes. It was ghostly but clearly visible, "Elaida will expect it of us."

"You may. I'm under no such compulsion to ever give her a moments notice. Dealing with Moraine is one thing, as she is a true Blue with some Light forsaken quest of hers to complete. Elaida is less a true Red, and much more a conniving little tart far too full of herself. Sending her to the Mistress of Novices near twice a day for terrifying others soured my opinion of young Miss Elaida." The Brown's tight lipped voice had made the girls lean in more to listen to the curt reply.

Naleva's eyes bulged for an Aes Sedai with Kaliandra's harsh assessment of this Elaida rolling over the group, "She is a very powerful woman and ranking Sister in the Red Ajah."

"And a snot. I will not bend knee to her." the older woman snapped, "Plus we have other considerations. Knowing her, she may well lay claim to our small covey of lovely initiates as her own. Do you wish to lose the glory of this find to the likes of Elaida?"

"I'll eat my own liver before that." hissed Naleva with a flickering softness at the gentle Luna and Emmatilde. That fear was even sharper than moments before. "It's my time to shine."

At the Inn was Therell, whom had already seen to arranging rooms for the lot of them. It was rather nicely appointed by her experiences with this world's Inns. In fact it out shown the Three Broomsticks and the Leaky Cauldron both. A pleasant surprise on the whole. It would also have to do for a while as the snow had began to fall in great wet clumps, coating the already white stone city in a soft blanket of fresh white.

"Well this should answer if we'll make it to Tar Valon or not?" Fred wryly chuckled.

"That's alright by me. I get more time with you." Angelina bravely kissed his cheek while Naleva was studying the common room with a hand on Harry.

George grinned hopefully at Alicia, "Is the feeling infectious?"

"It is. It most surely is." the girl laughed before kissing her eager boyfriend.

They were a cute set of couples she thought. As for the feeling, it had infected her as well. Going so long without her Harry along the road had her a touch frisky. Biting her cheek, Hermione had turned to find him. However he was gone. Seeing this sunk her heart into a darkening hole. This world had awoke her to his intoxicating love, only to steal him away in a demented game of keep away.

Emmatilde slid over and whispered consolingly, "Naleva sent him to give regards to that Elaida Sedai. That and to inform the court Aes Sedai that it might be unseemly for the Daughter Heir Elayne to be seen fraternizing with our sorts."

Thanking the girl quickly, Hermione fought down an urge to hunt down and hex the Red cow into a gelatinous mass. Meanwhile Master Gill was informing them of the accommodations.

"A library? A real library, with books?" Hermione asked after barely catching onto what he had said. This was just too good to be true.

"Uh... yes Miss. I have one, but as I said it's not much." Master Gill replied in a near stammer at her excited burst of questions.

"That's fine. I just miss books and reading." Hermione felt herself about ready to break down into unladylike giggles of delight.

Kaliandra smiled wide with that proclamation.

Parvati had no qualms of giggling madly, "Well we might as well say goodbye to Hermione right now. She'll like as not bunk out in there."

"I was thinking I might." Padma blushingly confessed, "Any library right now sounds like heaven to me after so long."

Days began to pass them by. With such a heavy snow at first, and the subsequent steady heaping up of more after it, winter had arrived and trapped them in Caemlyn. Buried hip deep in some places the city's growing discontent had been dampened for the time being, but Hermione suspected the Children of the Light were active still. Those Whited Sepulchers had attempted to bully Master Gill into turning _White_ as they had other Inns, but were promptly deposited out in the snow without gaining a thing.

All this made her love the man more. That and his Library where she and Padma had immersed themselves fully. Most of it was travel journals but those were still informative for the Hogwarts girls. None of them were familiar enough with the world, so this was a doorway to understanding to this confusing alternate Earth.

Eating a bite of cheese, Luna their vagrant compatriot was delving the depths of _"The Travels of Jain Farstrider"_. Giggling now and then at some points, the blond looked up at them and asked, "Should we write a journal of this trip?"

"Who would believe it?" Padma snorted, "I'm having trouble accepting it."

Eying the pair of Ravenclaws, Hermione began to smile, "Slytherin's Diary! He was recording a travel journal. We should have been reading it all along."

"How? If you remember it's not light reading. Eleven languages has put it out of casual reach." Padma stated with a sip of tea.

"But we can more or less. We know most of the languages now." Hermione felt like running off then and there to dig into the tome, "It might give the boys a chance."

"But it also might be snatched up by the Sisters." her friend grumped tiredly.

All of them were getting cabin fever but Naleva had cloistered them up in the Inn. She had also been keeping a sharp eye on them for any previously unseen possessions.

Concentrating Hermione put up the book she had just finished. It was just a banishing charm, but in channeling it took Air and Spirit to do it well. Sometimes a minuscule thread of Fire would have to be added in order to ease the cold air up for guiding it. This way of approaching magic was a touch tricky, but she loved it. What would Flitwick say to his carefully studied charms were not a form of science but more a moving situational work of art? She then sighed at that.

Nothing, would be said by him unless the boys miraculously found the way to use Saidin, the male half of the One Power. And then only if they could touch it free of the Taint. A fact which made her sniffle. "We know the basics. Maybe it's time we left?"

"No. I think we haven't learned what is needed." Luna took another bite of cheese while airily shooting the suggestion down. "I thought as you do but I think we will have failed Harry and the wizards if we only half learn what we can. Besides things are about to happen here we should see and experience while we have the chance."

"What could those be?" Padma snippily shut her book with a disgusted snap. "We've seen a war, or the effects of it. We've even seen about this Taint and what not."

Shrugging at that, Luna gazed off at the walls of books, "We need you, please do come."

A far up and thickly bound book slid free of its companions by the guiding weave of Luna's. Dropping down low it opened and flipped to a certain page as it came to rest beside a glowing Luna, "Thank you. That was very nice of you to come."

Barmy! Hermione had come to love Luna but the tiny blond was far beyond the twist beyond the twist. "What book is that? I've only made it to the second shelf." She asked this nutty rival for Harry's heart.

"The Kareathon Cycle, it really wanted to be read so it fell on me yesterday as I chased away some wrackspurts. I get them more often in winter, and Harry staying away from us they've grown into a plague." Luna sorrowfully confided.

"Nev's doing the same again." Padma pursed her lips in a frustrated snort. "I could throttle him for it."

"It's not their fault Naleva Sedai has been hard on them." Luna sighed with a catch in her throat. For the tiny eternally mellow blond, that was wailing and sobbing in the street. "But that's for later I think. Right now my friend here has a lot to teach us."

Having her interest piqued Hermione moved to sit and read the ancient tome. It was a tough go but she got the gist of it in her skimming of it. Rereading over some of the more alarming bits, her blood ran cold.

"Blimey!" she yelped at going over a few of the grimmer entries, sitting back with a shiver.

Very curious now, Padma took a turn and almost dropped the heavy book, "Bugger!"

"It is alarming. I had more than normal trouble sleeping last night." Luna confessed with a tiny sniffle, "I miss holding Harry while we sleep."

"Don't we all." Parvati said from the doorway, where she was carrying a platter of food.

Piled up behind her was the rest of the teen witches. Ginny held a pitcher of some steaming mulled wine, and Tracey juggled mugs enough for all the girls. All of whom were trooping in, even Emmatilde and Seandra whom were grinning ear to ear.

Parvati hoisted up her burden proudly, "Cheers you three! It's New Years Eve or as close as they have here."

Emmatilde cheered ecstatically, "It's the Feast of Lights! It's very fun."

"Why are we celebrating in here and not out in the common room?" Padma asked with a nervous glance around, "We have all these books and... and it could... OHHH!" She had began to hyperventilate some with that. Hermione was nearly in as bad a way.

"Naleva." the others said in reply.

"Will the boys be-?" Hermione asked, praying that hopefully the Red Sister would relent.

"Nope, they've been given guard duty to help Master Gill and Lamgwin after those Whitecloaks harassed Mother Grubb." grumped Tracey, "I'm getting tired of bigots."

Hermione snorted, "Purebloods."

"Hey now! We never put stock in Draco's rubbish." Tracey pouted almost dropping the mugs she had been balancing.

Luna took on a look of pure concentration. "You should go home now."

With that, Hermione felt a surge of the One Power. Looking towards Luna she witnessed the waif's elegant weaving of Saidar in a whirling display of several weaves dancing about. This was much more of the One Power than any of them had attempted to use before. Beaming with a million galleon smile, the girl was packing the books neatly back into place like Merlin did in an old Disney movie. Feeling emboldened, Hermione and Padma set to helping straighten up their small refuge in this crazy world. Witnessing this left Emmatilde with a longing look on her wide friendly face. Seandra glared at them all sulkily. As for the rest they acted as they would at home. It was only magic, any of them could do it.

Emmatilde shook herself in order to take charge. "Back home we play games and sing songs. My favorites are the games. Me and my cousins played Confessions and Consequences, Can You?, and the absolute best of the lot I've a Secret!"

Hermione had the distinct impression this would be like one of those slumber parties she never gets invited too. A fact that made her giddy if they actually wanted her about for it. In fact she'd never been invited or had a successful party at all.

Luna plopped down beside her on the huge chair that could double as a sofa. It shocked her that the tiny blond cuddled up to her with a glowing smile, "This might be fun. Do you think they mind if I stay? No one ever invites me to parties."

Hugging her gentle friend tight Hermione whispered, "I wont rat you out if you do the same for me."

Beaming Luna leaned in to her and giggled, "I love having friends. I feel normal for a change. Do you mind if I stay here by you? We're Harry's girls, so that makes us almost sisters. I've always wanted one."

"Me too, baby sister. Me too." Hermione sighed as she felt her heart grow to near bursting with affection for the tiny blond witch.

Ginny brought them mugs of the hot spiced wine and sat with them, "I like the idea of sisters. I've always felt like a mistake in the Weasley Family Tree as my bits are not the standard equipment for one unless she marries in."

That had to hurt to grow up thinking that. Hermione had the feeling that they were a rather odd select group of witches. Not a one of them fit in any mold that their world would have preferred of them. An interesting observation. So was her first taste of wine.

It wasn't as if her parents were teetotalers, but they were not the sort to just hand a flute of wine to a teenager. What she tasted now rocked her world by it's exotic flavor. In point of fact it was absolutely brilliant in her modest opinion. As was the fact that here she was just one of the girls. These were her friends and so was she to them. Playing silly games and learning the feast day's songs made this a night to remember for her.

They probably shouldn't have, but they did drink a touch too much. It was strange to her how they were growing older the longer they lived on this world. Has time been steadily slipping past something frightful back home? Would they have been missed outside of Harry in that infernal Tri-Wizard Tournament?

Did she care anymore?

For her parents and the Weasleys, yes she did. Maybe a few of her professors like McGonagall and Hagrid. But for the rest of them back there, she wasn't too certain she did if she was honest about it.

Late that night or early that morning, the boys popped in to check on them. Fred and George had sulphur smelling tonics for the girls to drink that hissed and bubbled. By the dim words she could understand with her head pounding as it was, they were to drink the foul potions whole. Blaise and Neville set to cleaning the place up, what little mess the girls had made in their care. It had to be a cursed gift to be so compassionately, if rudely disturbed, the way the girls felt in this delicate state.

Even Luna was owlishly glaring at the caring wizards as she snuggled tighter into Hermione and Ginny. Daphne had a greenish pallor after guzzling her tonic while Parvati rubbed her back consolingly.

A bit too jubilant for comfort, Harry was carrying something in a large sack over his shoulder. Perched precariously on his head was a ridiculous silly green hat with a silver sleigh bell at its topmost. Seeing the state of the ladies he gives them an adorable gentle grin

"Good morning, our far fairer friends." he whispered. Even as out of sorts as they were, he was giving the five girls in contention for his heart a look of utter adoration. "Happy Belated Christmas. We know you lot were already full of good cheer last night."

Christmas? The boys remembered Christmas?

"What of Naleva?" Ginny worried a bit too loudly, causing the girls all to wince. Including herself. "Ohhh... Sorry."

"Sleeping draught." Fred answered with an impish grin, "Our own recipe."

"Dropped in her wine. She'll like as not sleep till tomorrow evening." George confirmed with a wink.

"Brilliant. I knew I loved you for a reason." Angelina chuckled then held her head.

Harry set down the sack he bore, "Emmatilde, Seandra we didn't rightly know what to get for your first Christmas but I think these will be nice enough."

He produced two packages for the Ghealdaner girls. Emmatilde tore into hers with gleeful abandon. It turned out to be a lovely blue wool coat that was heavy for warmth, but also intricately embroidered with a long golden serpent chasing its tail. Blushing madly Seandra opened hers to find a sable fur lined green hood with an oak leaf motif embroidered into its throat area.

"We didn't have much time to shop. So we bought the best there was." Blaise apologized humbly. A rare trait in a Slytherin, but did any of them fit those old pigeon holes anymore?

Both of the Ghealdaners hugged the lot of boys excitedly. Emmatilde kept preening, "I'll look a right lady in this I tell you."

Neville wore a lazy smile as he spoke, "We split up the shopping by couples. As Harry is the daft bugger for not choosing to ask one of you lot to be his girl, we insisted he do most of the buying. He was the one who picked out all you fives gifts so blame him if they're not up to par. Just as a warning."

"Thanks mate." Harry grumped with a lopsided grin while still half buried in the bag of gifts. "Glad to know you've got my back."

"That's nice, now lets get on with it." Tracey urged, her eyes gleaming.

Harry dug out another package to hand to Blaise, whom presented it to Tracey with a florid bow. When she took it she greedily ripped its wrappings off to discover a slender box. Tiny tremors shook the Slytherin witch as she slid free its hasp to draw out a long emerald and silver necklace which its links were minuscule curled snakes intertwined together to form a delicate chain. She was speechless and snogged him into similar shape.

Harry had already handed out to Neville the elegantly crafted gift chest for Padma. It turned out to be a silver tea set chased in an elaborate geometric pattern, "I know you've missed the civilized life we once lived." He carefully spoke in English while letting his hand caress her upper arm. Padma had tears glistening in her eyes as she cradled the pot to her chest.

Fred and George looked at each other then presented theirs together, plane unbleached wool socks. The girls glared daggers at the two till Angelina pulled her pair apart to reveal a small golden ring glittering in the folded material. Alicia quickly pulled hers apart too with tiny rapid breaths, finding a ring as well.

This had the Hogwarts girls one and all weeping tears of joy.

"Angelina Johnson, we may never get home. But where you are I am home. Will you marry me?" Fred asked tenderly, "You don't have to answer yet if you like."

"Are you barking? Wait to answer? It's a yes you great prat!" Angelina squeezed him in a tight hug that speedily evolved into a lingering kiss.

Grinning sadly, George took Alicia's hand, "Alicia Spinnet will you-?"

She slammed into him with as fierce a hug as Angelina gave Fred. "YES! YES! YES!"

"But what if I was going to ask if you will cherish the socks?" he teased with a haunted joy.

"Then you die in your sleep my great ginger git!" she laughingly wept into his shoulder, clutching hold of him as if her life depended on it.

"So you will marry me? Or do you hate the socks?" George teased but was clinging to her as tightly as she did to him.

"Yes." Alicia kissed him now, resembling two shipwrecked souls glad not to be swept out to sea. They were holding onto one another as if this was there last moments.

Hermione involuntarily shivered at the thought this may be the case for all of them.

Taking a deep breath, Harry dug into the sack and said, "I'm going at random, but I love all of you equally. Daphne this one is yours." He handed the Slytherin a moderately small square package. Opening it Daphne gasped and nearly dropped a flashing pendant.

From what Hermione could see it was a red and gold laurel leaf with an emerald inlay. This was a kingly, or maybe queenly gift as they were in the matriarchal Andor. In any case it had the level headed Daphne shaking as she tried to put it on. "Oh Harry..."

"You're my Laurel Crown, Daphne." he whispered as he caressed her hand, then hissed in parseltongue something that had the Slytherin blushing furiously. Tenderly he took over putting it onto her before she kissed his cheek.

He took another package out, this one was large and lumpy, "Luna, I found this and thought only of you. I hope you can sleep better at night with it. Kaliandra Sedai mentioned you've been having troubles. I know my nights are harder without my Moonlight."

Gazing at it, Luna reverently opened hers to produce a rather warm looking pale blue silken and grey wool padded comforter. Meticulously embroidered with a blue night sky and black raven motif. Glowing with eyes brimming wetly Luna pounced him with an exuberant snogging then bounced back to her spot by Hermione. Where she wrapped herself up humming contentedly, "It will have to do till I can have you back. Wont it be fun to sleep together again under it? I can hardly wait."

Poor Emmatilde looked thoroughly scandalized, "Oh by the Light you can't!"

"Why not? He's my favorite pillow?" Luna demanded incredulously.

Smirking with a deep crimson blush, Harry dug out another package. It was a modest stiff rectangle and must have weighed a fair bit for its size. His eyes were twinkling as he held it out for Ginny, "Gin, considering how I destroyed your last one, and a girl as full of thoughts as yourself should have one, I was lucky to find this one. I died more or less for my Serpent's Maiden and I'd gladly do it again. Bonus with this one is that it doesn't come full of its own thoughts or talk back. I personally looked to be sure."

The youngest Weasley tore into it and withdrew a handsome black leather and silver bound book. Tiny emerald frogs were frolicking about the silver spine and hasp lock. A silver and emerald frog was its key. A brilliant shade of red made the ginger witch look akin to an enormous tomato as she began laughing with great tears running down her cheeks, "I love it Harry! How did you know?"

"Your blush." he winked, "I couldn't find a dwarf to give it to you though. We're in luck if you want me to sing as my voice is probably worse than that fellow's. Simply dreadful I've been told. But as I'm a bit smarter these days I realized I love you too."

Only a few there knew the inside joke. To them it was just a pretty, if odd diary. Holding it in one hand Ginny slid into his arms to lightly lay claim to his lips. It was chaste but had even Hermione light headed from its intensity. When the pair parted they were all smiles and Ginny was a bit smug about it.

Still smiling Harry reached down into the sack to pull out a light, thin, floppy thing that he gave to Parvati with a trembling adoration. "If I could capture the night sky for you to wear I would. You lift up my days and set fire to my nights, my Mountain Angel. This is a paltry gift for one like you, and with how I feel for you. But it is what I have."

Her hands shaking Parvati delicately opened her gift with care, extracting a shimmery black silk shawl with a silver and onyx raven clasp. She looked into his eyes and beamed, "It's beautiful Harry!"

Hermione's chief rival leapt into him and proceeded to melt both their minds. Par's legs gave out on her as he gave as good as he got. His Warder hardened muscles scooped her up tighter to him as she started to slide.

Meanwhile Hermione was near to bouncing off the walls for her own. What would Harry give her? All the other gifts are glorious and perfect. Even Luna's fluffy comforter the tiny blond was buried under beside Hermione, and may actually be sleeping. Did he love her as much as the others?

His eyes were so soft and green while they met hers, his voice held an ache for her, "Hermione," he began to withdraw the final gift. Her gift! "I hunted for-."

Therell's head popping in with a gruff bark cut her love off, "Trouble. Lads it's time to earn your spurs."

Harry looked anxious and quickly apologized, "Hermione, I'm sorry. I have to go. These are for you, my Heart's Love. I hope you can forgive me for dashing off."

All the lads left their now distraught witches and slipped out silently. Each moved now with the easy grace of predators at the ready. A mountain lion or tiger most likely, and maybe twice as deadly. Hermione's heart gave a tug. Why now?

Extricating herself from Luna, Hermione stood on shaky legs. With her once forgotten hangover returning with a vengeance, she felt her heart beating wildly inside her chest as she approached the bag containing her gift.

"I'm never getting drunk again. I was stupid. This whole thing is stupid. Why did he have to go now?" she pouted with a wince.

Pulling off the bag she beheld a stack of some sort, tightly bound together by two brightly colored sashes over a quilted throw. Untying these she carefully set them aside with some ideas for them. With trepidation badgering her thoughts and heart, she unfolded the throw, noting that it was well made and had tiny lions reading books embroidered around the edges. It was darling and she suppressed a small giggle at its whimsy. Inside it were seven wear worn leather bound books. Three were Prophecies of the Dragon and commentaries on them. The largest was an ornate atlas that held hand drawn and painted maps from the past and present up to what was called the Aiel War. The two smallest were travel journals that she had read copies of here in the Inn, but wouldn't turn her nose up at having her own. Her last volume was a heavy history book that was an overview of this Age's history since the Breaking. Tucked into the last was an ornate gold and red silk book mark capped with a bronze lion's paw tassel.

She was at a loss for words at this gift.

" _'The Travels of Jain Farstrider'_ , that's a fun read. Everyone loves it." Seandra commented over Hermione's shoulder, then gasped in horror, "Hide those ones of the- th- the Dra- Dragon. Those are evil tidings. Might as well go name the Dark One as read those."

Hermione however planned to do just exactly that. More now than before, as curiosity burned away in her. Throwing the warm throw around her shoulders, she set about devouring her new prizes. Only she kept blushing as her love knew she sometimes forgot to sleep when studying like this. Thus the bookmark and cover.

"I love you too Harry. Please stay safe." she whispered while getting cozy for an extended read.

Reading over the whole Dragon Reborn material made Hermione positive that this was not a particularly auspicious time to be visiting this mirror Earth and Age. If this Logain was the Dragon Reborn that would make the coming days dicey to survive and circumnavigate. Yet could they dare leave this soon? The girls knew how to channel but not the boys. For everything to work out, the wizards had to bring back the secrets to Saidin. Otherwise this whole world's skewed sense of balance would follow them home and wreck all sorts of havoc. Women channelors in control, dominating everyone else in the world. A reverse gender discrimination would elevate women but crush the chance at a just equal society.

Days continued to blow away as winter's iron grip hung on longer than any had ever knew of. Food began to grow scarcer and people began to notice it. Cheering on the unrest were the growing numbers of these blighted Whitecloaks who saw this as grand an opportunity as any to take over. By coup or popular uprising, their Lord Captain Commander no doubt strutted about preening at the idea of conquering Andor, a kingdom strongly aligned with Tar Valon. In part as every queen is White Tower trained.

Shivering at the notion of a world controlled by these monstrous Children of the Light, Hermione delved deeper into her books. And not only the ones dealing with the Dragon. Her history book gave her clues to what all Slytherin saw. Either she had forgot a few lines, or mistranslated them, or the Taint Mad Founder had lived here during the last days of the War of Power, the Breaking, and even the Trolloc Wars. Contemplating this impossibility hurt her head till she hoped it was simply that he must have found more mirror worlds than the five he left coins of. Could he have done that and not written of them?

She highly doubted that. Thus she was left bewildered by the dichotomy she'd uncovered. And if she brazenly plopped out his journal to conclusively put the mystery to rest, she risked a disaster of it being seized by the Sisters.

Padma was bringing a pot of Tearan tea to boil as a way to relax and practice a finer tuned use of Saidar. Looking up at Hermione she worried out loud, "Do you think this Logain could be their Dragon?"

"You say that as if we have one?" Hermione accused with a flat look for her friend and study buddy.

"We did remember. That Corind we saw in the memories Slytherin left for us." Padma blushed brightly.

Hermione did as well. One of those memories was from Corind's wife. The Ancient couple were sharing a heartbreaking moment the night before he was to ride off to battle the Betrayer Prince, the woman's own brother. It had been highly emotional and highly intimate. Blessedly the vision had ended before it became any more private. Some moments are too special for just anyone to take a peek at.

"But then why does the man not fit the description of him here?" Hermione indicated her stack of books. "He must be a False Dragon, as everyone here says."

Growing pensive, Pads stared at her ornate tea pot, "Then the real one is about to arise... Things are fitting the laid out framework for his return."

That made Hermione a touch sick to the stomach, "We've come just in time to see the end of this world. How awful. Of course they'll want- OH MERLIN!"

"That's what I fear. Our boys will be used as soldiers. We're going to be stuffed in the White Tower, locked up and supposedly safe while our loves may die fighting." Padma's sniffle of suppressed agony was echoed by Hermione.

In mutual pain the two stared at the pot and books. Hermione struggling against the urge to throw up, whimpered, "They know. That's why they did all this."

"Just like Corind and that glass rose. Always telling her of his love." Padma's tears did come pouring out now. "He called it his Storm Gift. Why do boys always get so caught up on doing that to us women?"

"They think we're fragile and more precious than they. Pads, we need to get the girls in here and work harder at becoming Aes Sedai. If we can speed this all up then we can force the lot of prats to become our Warders and... and..." she couldn't go on.

"Stop them from wasting their lives off hacking others to bits till they are the ones hacked up." Padma spat in disgust, "Nev is too gentle for that. I wont let him be destroyed by having to march off like a looby to butcher people if I can help it."

Wind had begun to hammer at the walls more and more. Freezing rain and slushy snow peppered the lone widow's shutters. Leaking around the wooden framed glass was a bitingly cold breeze.

Snuggling deeper into her throw for a moment, Hermione shivered, "Harry will still wish to be in the thick of it. But I'm afraid how it will change him too. I hope we can find a way to keep out of this storm, but can we stand by and watch this world plunge into darkness?"

"Well as you said, we wont have an option if we don't work harder at learning all this." Padma's hand trembled while she fixed them both a cup, "But we need to not lose ourselves doing it. Breath now and then. I've been telling myself this for a while now. Hermione, I'm afraid none of us are going to ever make it home. If we do we wont be sane."

Thunder rumbled and shook the window causing them to jump. Outside was going from bad to worse. Standing and closing her book, Hermione took a deep breath for focus, "Your right, but Slytherin had a way back, so we have a way too. But we wont find it if we don't look for it."

"Drink your tea." her companion ordered, "Your turning blue."

Smiling Hermione sniffed, "Okay, but just the one. Then we get to work."


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

AN: Sorry for delay I injured my arm and shoulder so now I am typing with my off arm alone.

Chapter Fourteen : Everything Changes

Moving silently through the crowding slush sodden streets like a pair of wraiths, Harry and Neville raised more than a few eyebrows of the more alert. Brazenly neither had an ounce of white to them. Bright blood red caps with large red and gold cockades. Scarlet cloaks and burgundy coats with red and gold corded armbands bearing their own cockades of like coloring. Even the same for their black tight trousered knees and cockades worked into their flared black leather boots. Other men may have faced a challenge or two for standing so pronounced clearly for the Queen, but other men didn't carry themselves with the carriage of killers. Lethal predators made from simple boys who could kill a man without hardly taking a breath or breaking a sweat. Other more common men did not hold the bearing that practically screamed they would not suffer the bating of fools. All five of the Hogwarts teenage boys looked this way now, and Harry was the hardest of the lot.

Men and women wearing white in the main would melt to the side for him these days. Only the most brash of Whitecloaks would dare try to intimidate the five boys, yet only if they were ripping drunk when facing Harry. Usually to their chagrin as the boys were Warder trained and ever ready to stand as one. More than one or two batches of broken and beaten white clad bully boys later and now the more crafty or careful Whitecloaks spied on the Hogwarts Five. No doubt hoping to catch them out for being Darkfriends or other trumped up tripe.

Today Harry and Neville had to deliver a message to Elaida. A scheming old bint that was proving how little value any of the Red Ajah had. If they had any at all. Funnily Elaida preferred to exclusively deal with Harry, and that was with reluctance. Repeatedly she had sent her wishes to deal directly with the two Aes Sedai Naleva and Kaliandra. Which were promptly declined by the pair, and thus the boys became glorified mail carriers. Specifically Harry for some reason to his own great chagrin. Though Neville was just as favored for missives to the rest of the Andoran Court as a whole.

Easily leaping a slush pit around a gutter, the pair watched the crowd. Danger could be coming at them from any angle, but more so today. Everyone out today was feeling an uneasy electricity and acted accordingly. The air was rank with anticipation of some big news about to explode onto the already tense streets. Eyes kept a constant vigilance about them, expecting someone to break the simmering tension. Harry and Neville wished to speed along their way without the break coming while they were away from the others.

Brave street vendors here and there hawked wares for a wide variety of goods, but Harry also noted each of them carried some form of defense. A few even had hired bully boys sitting near at hand eying the crowd for threats. Of those, some even looked capable of really making a good show of it if things got out of hand.

Smirking he turned to his mate, "I'm glad winter has broken finally. We can leave this mess behind. I feel for the Queen's Guard but if we get clear of here, the girls wont be so snippy for not seeing the city."

Neville grinned and nodded while dodging a runaway trash cart rumbling past where it escaped the tired looking pushman. Not too long ago the big wizard would have been flattened by it. Harry too far as that goes.

Women were all at work making ready for a more active spring after this excruciatingly hard winter trapped inside. Neville chuckled at the sight of a young boy venting his frustration at being drafted into carting water for an older girl scrubbing the front stoop. In a pouting fit the little guy had tossed the bucket down, successfully drenching the girl and his father who had been rehanging the front door. Life was about to become a bit harsher for the surly boy, and the two wizards witnessing it were just glad it wasn't them.

"Harry, if we do leave soon I'm wondering how I can ask Padma to marry me. Not right now of course, but setting up a betrothal." Neville confided in Harry once they were away from the scene of immanent domestic discontent.

"Brilliant, Nev. I'm happy for you." chortled Harry with a huge grin. He was happy for his mate and that the Inner City gates were just up the way. "You're a lucky bloke."

"You could be too. Pads says Parvati would say yes if you asked her." the tall burly blond pointed out equally relieved that the more sedate Inner City was with in sight.

Grimacing at that Harry acted as if he did not hear his more or less best mate. Harry had decided he could not choose any girl as he was bound for madness and death soon. Though he was free of Voldemort here, his scar burned ever more frequently these days. Almost as if it too awaited the breaking that was on the horizon. Whatever came, he knew it would bring great evil, and he would stand and fight it. No one would stop him facing this darkness that came. Not even the girls he loved more than his own life, though they might give it their best shot.

"Ignoring it wont make it go away." his best mate sagely advised.

"I'm not. I'm facing it in a different way. Nev, I love them. Choosing one will hurt the lot. Plus we've already discussed this. We're going to war soon. I can't stand making any of my loves widows." he grumbled, hoping he put the topic to rest.

Nev's snort wasn't giving him too much to hope for in that direction.

Returning to silence they slid through the Inner City without incident. Just a pair of deadly ghosts on a jolly little jaunt. Fewer sorts in this part of town would even dream of crossing swords with the boys, or not support the Queen.

Meeting Tallanvore at the main palace gate, they were checked over by the Guards then escorted to present themselves before the Queen. After spending the whole winter traipsing up to and back from the palace, they had grown accustomed to Morgase and her court. However only a blind idiot would ignore the power and grace the Queen of Andor held. Harry had never been allowed to see Queen Elizabeth II back home, mainly because the Dursleys thought a freak like him might sully the woman just by glimpsing her on the telly. Yet he imagined she might be similar to Morgase, sans the power to order his immediate execution.

He did not wish to face that. Stoking that was his irritation at having to present his message to Elaida before the small court. All of the inner circle of the Trakand Dynasty were in attendance to boot. Every bloody one of them from the Queen, Captain-General Bryne, the lordling Princes Gawyne and Galadedrid, the Daughter Heir Princess Elayne, and finally the Red Hag herself Elaida. Why they had him and Neville coming here had the two Hogwarts boys off. Had the pair caused some unknown offense to face the Queen's wrath?

Bowing Harry struggled to remain composed by steadily breathing. If he must, he had his wand at hand and ready to hurl magic if needed. A likely case since the ever efficient Tallanvore relieved him of his private arsenal of four daggers, one poniard, a short sword that rode strapped to his back, his mace, and his long sword. Standard protocol but it left him feeling distinctly naked.

"Your Majesty, we've brought a message for Elaida Sedai from Naleva Sedai." he intoned smoothly from his one knee bow. The expected courtesy he'd become at ease with from his numerous times he'd ventured to the palace now.

"She wishes you to share it with all of us. I find myself curious as well that the esteemed Naleva Sedai and Kaliandra Sedai have yet to accept an invitation to the palace. It is being postulated that your Mistresses have some nefarious plot brewing in my city. Or that you and your man there are at fault for this misunderstanding." the Queen cooly pronounced.

Elaida would be first, then the men starting with Garyth Bryne. Calmly Harry replied while preparing to fight their way free. "It is as my Mistresses have sent. Fear for your daughters standing at court and the safety of the other postulants is forcing a needful distance to that of your court. Even now red is a color being bled white by unsavory sorts."

"Something that appears to be far from the case in you or your man, Goodman Longbottom there." Lord Gawyn pointed out with mild amused interest.

Harry liked the young lord but also thought all three of the royal children were close to being brats in need of a good thrashing. Each acted as if Harry was more a curious toy than man.

"I support the Queen as she has earned it. I am not a subject of this realm, but see it as near a second home as I could rightfully call one. The Whites and their bigoted Masters are enemies to law, justice, and plain good sense. I have already told you this milord. Wasting time asking a Lion if it is a Lion will only cause strife in the pride and allow hunters to slip in amongst the helpless cubs." he felt his temper rising with the lordling prince.

"Well put young sir." Garyth softly approved off the side.

"Indeed, now what is the message this time?" snipped the Red Hag.

"Pardon me, but we were not to read it and to deliver it directly to you Elaida Sedai." he coughed apologetically as he and Neville remained bowed before the Queen.

"Then read it out loud here, as you will be delivering it directly as you say." the Red Sister curtly reasoned with a shooing gesture.

Nodding he awkwardly retrieved and opened it from his kneeling bow. Only a man came bursting in. The fellow looked near to collapsing as he still carried the muck of the road about him.

Wobbly kneeling, the man announced to the Queen and small court, "Your Majesty! Logain has been defeated in a decisive battle. It occurred on Winter Night! We've won your Majesty."

Relief swept the soldiers arrayed about the Lesser Hall, but not among the small court or the two kneeling wizards. Word of this could spark celebrations, and those in turn could create chaos along with a mob mentality. Caemlyn would be boiling with insurrectionists within days.

Cursing his luck Harry stayed put till dismissed. Leaving without the Queen's blessing was an executable offense. Qualifying for the Headless Hunt would not get the girls and his mates home safely. Idly he checked this down on his list of why he hated nobles, and royals in particular. Sharing a glance with Neville said his best mate felt the same.

"Excellent. Go to the barracks and tell them to be on alert for any mischief. Then get some well deserved rest." Morgase commanded the road weary messenger. "Now back to you my Goodman Potter, please deliver your own message."

Pulling it open he cleared his throat.

"Dear Esteemed Sister,

We regret to inform you that we will be leaving the City as it is now turned spring. The girls must be delivered to Tar Valon and not at the same time as the Daughter Heir. Her time to shine will occur better un-weighed down by commoner Wilder girls than at their unseemly side.

Your Sister, Naleva."

He had to wince at the wording. Here him and Neville were stuck while the Sisters were rounding up all the girls and skipping town. Elaida would use the two boys for target practice at her being thwarted in hauling in a great treasure load like the Hogwarts witches along behind the captured False Dragon, and the precious Daughter Heir. A magnificent display of power to possibly cow the current Hall of the Sitters and Amyrlin Seat. If played right, she could conceivably position herself for even greater power to oust her opponents.

His tutoring by Therell was not all blade and horsmanship. Years spent as a Warder and second son of a minor noble line gave Therell a fine eye for politics. Or Daes Dae'mar as the locals to this world called it. Blaise was a natural at this not surprisingly, but Harry had been shown to not be a slouch at it either. He just had a tendency to seek and find ways to bypass it.

"That is unacceptable!" Elaida coldly hissed, "They would be far safer with the caravan than out among all this discord." the powerful Red turned to the Queen, "We must put a stop to this nonsense."

Gazing at Harry for a long time, Morgase calmly inquired, "Where is it that you and yours hail from Goodman Potter? Your accent is vaguely Ghealdaner and Cairhienin but not enough of either to be familiar. It has always bothered me that it sounds as if this is impossibly a second tongue for you. A most vexing discovery with all else that has taken place of late."

Harry sensed Neville tensing. The wizard was not alone as Harry himself felt trapped, "We come from the Mountains in a secluded, long forgotten valley. When last it was freely traveled by all, the High King had just recently died. We few just got lost while wandering and are now swept along with the rest of the outside world."

"Interesting. Then how is it you speak the same language as us? Surely your kingdom was hidden when the Old Tongue was spoken more than Common." Lord Galadedrid accused, sounding exactly like a certain annoying rule mongering Weasley.

"No sir we spoke a language far different than that noble tongue of lore." Harry coldly replied in English to put emphasis to what he said. Thanking Therell for all his instructions in surviving court life. Personally he loathed all this peacock posturing side stepping, but protecting the truth meant more to him than his comfort. "And I never said it was a kingdom." He added in Common to hammer it home.

"Astonishing." Morgase quietly exclaimed, "My dear Elaida, as they are not citizens of the Rose Crown but beholding to Tar Valon- a valued ally as is the reason you sit here beside me, though others would wish it else wise- I will not detain them."

Simmering hate glowed in the Red's eyes, "As you wish, your Majesty."

Knowing that he had made an enemy of the old witch for no reason whatsoever, he tried not to grit his teeth. There would be trouble from her later, but in a way he would not feel just yet. More likely when they were tucked away safely in Tar Valon where the laws were tailored to give the Aes Sedai free reign in tampering with others' lives. Therell was an excellent instructor and his first lesson that Aes Sedai were dangerous to everyone including themselves still rung true.

"You may leave young sirs, we have no further need of you." the Queen dismissed them without a second thought, "Now shall we see to this Whitecloak? I think he has stewed long enough and I am so very tired of his men and their games among my citizenry."

Slipping out Harry was glad to be free. He was also ready to tear the throat out of Naleva Sedai for sending him and Neville into be sacrificial lambs to Elaida. Aes Sedai played games and others die by the droves. An Aes Sedai whispers and a man's life is ruined. Facts every Warder was taught early on.

Gathering their various implements of carnage from the Queen's Guard, the pair of wizards wished to hurry back to the Inn. However a cautious Warder was a live Warder and Aes Sedai, so they had to be certain none would be following. Neither were fools enough to imagine Elaida not sending someone soon. So like smoke the two boys vanished into the city's streets. Finding an abandoned alley to change into plain unremarkable clothes from their extended bags they watched for pursuit. Warders were expected to be prepared for anything in life.

Therell explained it rather bluntly, "Aes Sedai act as if they live above and outside the world and laws of nature, but they are only human women. Like a brother, father, or husband in many cases, we Warders must smooth their way and treasure them. Wool headed as they tend to be, we must be their common sense."

Each of the boys worshiped the ground the old man walked on. He was a kindly grandfather or father figure to them. A stable rock that guided them in how to live life in this world and in general. When he spoke, they listened and worked to live by it or weave it into what they saw in how they already followed. None wished to ever disappoint him.

Now nearly nondescript, the pair of boys disappeared into the crowds. No one saw the two brash bravos that had passed by earlier. In fact precious few even saw them pass at all, and those that did quickly forgot them out of hand.

Back at the Inn the girls were in a right state with Harry and Neville gone while the Sisters had them packing up to leave. Seeing Blaise at guard duty while the twins readied the horses, the returned sacrificial lambs slipped in silently unseen by all save their mates and Therell. The latter was paying Master Gill their accumulated bill plus a nice tip extra for all that was done for them.

In the boys' room they hurriedly changed back into their cocky semi-uniforms once more. Smirking with unvarnished pride at escaping Naleva's attempt to be shot of them, they switched into using the cocky strut of _Cat Crossing the Courtyard_. It was time to report in and give the irksome cow a shock at her complete failure. It would be brilliant.

Thwarting them was a panic stricken mob of witches swarming them under.

"Where have you been?" Hermione plowed into Harry, "Naleva said you may not come back very soon as you had a tricky task to complete in the city." His best friend and lover demanded while squeezing the life out of him in one of her patented Hermione Hugs. Meanwhile Padma was weeping openly into Neville's broad chest.

Parvati too took to cutting off his air supply by use of hugging him to death, "Don't you dare go off without telling us ever again! You great prat, you!"

"It was rather rude Harry." Luna quietly chided, her hand lightly touching his arm.

Naleva saw them as she came up the main steps, by the tightening of her jaw it was not a welcomed discovery, "She let you go. How fortunate."

"She wont be so forgiving if we take any longer in leaving. Court matters had her a bit preoccupied but she was less than pleased with your endearing words. Logain's been captured but that wont hold her interest long." he suggested urgently.

His words of warning had the Aes Sedai snapping and barking orders till they were all well outside the South Gate to avoid Elaida's interference. Their plan was to ride for a day or two south then cut for Aringill to catch a boat sailing up the River Erinin. Safe, simple, and full of hope that the Red Hag of Caemlyn would not anticipate it.

For his part, Harry just prayed Murphy's Law didn't come into effect as it had the whole trip from the Yule Ball towards Gryffindor Tower. Funny to think he never would have expected ending up on an alternate Earth when he went down to enjoy a dance with his lovely Parvati. He couldn't imagine what chaos their disappearance was causing back home. Then again did it cause any at all as these were the same people who raised next to no outcry over the basalysk and dementor attacks.

A couple of wary watchful days passed without incident, and a general hope of success held court in their hearts. Leaving as they did was guaranteed to make the controlling Elaida far from pleased.

Setting up camp one clean clear night, a day or two out from the port town found them longing for the ease of river travel. A bone tired weariness had settled into the hodgepodge band. Bogged down by winter slush melt offs on the farm cart path connecting two towns, travel had taken extra effort. It was a prime example of a reason to take the river the rest of the way. Dirt had an unsavory reputation of turning into mud when wet, and as they only had dirt roads they fought through tons of muck.

Having returned to a rugged camp routine, they were at ease with this type of life by now. Duties fell out easily to each member of the camp. From the two Aes Sedai pointedly ignoring each other, to Luna who was at that very moment setting up a campfire. Wood gathered by Harry and Neville was now marching on end in a straight line in order to fling itself into the Saidar kindled fire. Grinning widely, Luna herself was marching in place like a drum majorette calling cadence for the seemingly suicidal bits of timber.

Emmatilde stood nearby cheering them on excitedly with naked longing in her eyes, "And up! And up!"

Seandra and Tracey were readying a brace of coneys Therell had brought in with Blaise. Fred and George were seeing to the animals with their fiances helping. Off to the side Ginny and Daphne were drying the ground for bedrolls to be laid out, as Padma and Parvati retrieved said rolls from everyone's packs. Neville, as first on watch this night, had settled up on a high rock. Covered as he was by a grey wool traveling cloak he may as well be another lump on the boulder's massive shape. To a casual disinterested observer they appeared to be an example of domestic efficiency.

However Harry noticed that it was far more. His friends had grown out of being mere lost Hogwarts children, they were more adults now. A thought that left an ache in his heart. They had lost so much to so far gain only loads more fear, confusion, and pain.

A warm soft hand filled his. Turning his head to look down upon his beloved Hermione, he smiled in spite of himself. She pressed a finger up to her lips and led him away from camp to a rock like bench beside a feeder creek to the River Erinin. Taking a seat she patted for him to join her. Doing a quick check for danger, he did just that. When he did, she cuddled into him, which encouraged him to wrap his arm around her slender waist. Stars overhead twinkled invitingly with a brilliant waxing moon gleaming like a smile over them. This was a magnificent night to experience with one he loved.

Cradling her close, wishing he had a future to give her, Harry drank in the moment. Was it so wrong to love so many? Was it best to hide from them? Why was it that the Pattern had played them all false and bereft them of the lives they yearned for?

"Harry, don't give up on life." she sighed into his arm, wetting it with a tear, "We've not given up on you."

"That's what I'm afraid of." he answered tenderly.

He would see them safely home and then he'd ride to the Blight and slaughter as many Shadowspawn as he could manage till they overwhelmed him. The evil in his scar was driving him mad as fast as his own tainted magic was. He dared not bring that corruption back home.

"I'm serious! You don't have to die." she firmly lectured him. "We think we have an idea about how to get home, but we need to get time to study Slytherin's notes. We know almost all of the languages he used now. And in Tar Valon we're learning the Old Tongue. Giving us even more access to what he left for us. So we may be able to go home soon. Soon enough for you and the other boys till we can combat the Taint."

She took his hand and gently kissed it, whispering, "When we get back you are going to move in with me and my parents. There is plenty of space and as my friend," she grew very still, "and maybe more, you need to be safe from that lot you have pretending to be you're relatives. Oh Harry don't you see that from now on we are never going to let you live in terror or agony. We have so much to give, even if you never choose me. Daphne, Ginny, Luna, and Parvati feel as I do. We want to protect you. You're not alone. You've never been alone."

Avoiding the danger of denying her wish to save him or to give her false hope he spoke with a voice that strove to ruin his iron hard hold on his will. "Easier said than done. Of course if it takes us years to get out of here," he was struggling to stay strong in the face of her soft loving eyes, inviting him to love her, "well we'll like as not need a home of our own then." He let slip as he swam in her gaze, then nuzzled her bounteous soft brown hair.

Reason took a holiday when he was this close to one of the girls he loved. A prime root cause for his distancing himself from them. He wasn't strong enough to tell them no.

Taking his cheek in her hand she turned his face so that they could see eye to eye. Joy overflowed her soft chocolate brown orbs that held his heart locked tight. "That's something to look forward to. Though until we get said home, mum and dad will take us in."

He knew he'd just managed to trap himself by his treacherous desire to be her wizard. "But I haven't said I will choose to seek your hand over the others. Hermione, I love you all and can't see my life without any of you in it. I'm a freak."

"We'll let you decide." she grew sad for a moment then blossomed into a brighter smile, "Maybe we won't let you decide. I want you to know I plan on making you my Warder."

"Bugger. You really wouldn't want an idiot like me. I'm a lousy Warder." He tried to jokingly put that off.

She was not having it.

"It's as good as done. Just be ready my love." She commanded with a mirthful lilt to her voice. "You are the only man I ever want to be in my life like that."

How was he going to get out of this?

Hermione's eyes glimmered with a seductive heat as she closed the distance between their lips for an exploratory kiss. As much as he knew he should pull away to stop this, he yielded to her fire. Once he had she turned up the heat as it became a snogging that had him so utterly at her mercy he forgot where they were. All there was, existed in her love she gifted him here. Returning the passion and hunger he shared for her had her moaning his name joyfully. Her hand holding his guided it to her breast, this permission led to his hands exploring her deliciously enticing body that she now moved to straddle him with. Her own hands were seeking to untie his coat's frog closures. Once opened, she now caressed his chest. If Naleva Sedai saw this she'd do her nut.

Feeling this, sanity returning at how her hands sought his shirt ties as his was pulling up her long skirt's hem, shook him. "Bugger me! I'm sorry Hermione. I lost control- you are so perfect I can't think clearly. I..."

He tried to set her aside to flee till she silenced him with another kiss.

"I've made up my mind Harry. If we are stuck here or not, I want you as mine." She held his face in her warm hands, pressing her forehead into his, "If you wished, I'd willingly give myself to you."

Aroused and distressed equally in his love and need for her, he was momentarily frozen in place. The only answer he could honestly give was, "If we do take that step someday... Then it needs to be as husband and wife in a perfect loving setting. This is not the place though I want you so badly it hurts."

She beamed and kissed him lightly, her lips promising so much in their touch of his, "That only serves to make me want you more."

They stayed gazing into each other's eyes. A grin exploded from his own lips at how madly he loved this perfect witch in his arms. That is till his Warder honed senses picked up the faint distant sounds that he should have caught before.

There was a soft rumble getting louder. By a slight jingling it was armed and armoured men, "Blood and bloody ashes! Trouble's coming Hermione. We have to warn the others. Stick close and be ready to channel. If it's Whitecloakes they must not catch you. That would be ugly. I won't allow it but if they get me..."

She nodded with a grim set to her shoulders. Leading her back swiftly he barks, "Cavalry or at least mounted bruisers."

The girls had a deer in headlights look of incomprehension, but not the Aes Sedai or menfolk. Grabbing up the girls, whom had started grabbing up their stuff, the more alert and aware members of the band were mounting the lot before anyone could ask a word why.

However with channeling, the ladies had most of their things.

Whitecloakes would torture and then butcher the women gleefully. Elaida's men would have them packed off to Caemlyn and the boys dead or declared criminals. Simple brigands were like as not more interested in trying to rape, rob, and murder them off. None of these were desired outcomes. Even if it turns out these were refugees or a local lord's men-at-arms, it was far better to run than stay and be caught.

Out of the night were more men on horseback. By the gleaming flashes of burnished steel and white it was the first option. These were obviously Children of the Light, and Harry suspected that they had been trailing behind his group for the last few days. He also grew cold at the sight of short riding bows interspersed among their pursuers.

Knowing he was going to become a target for it, he bellowed the warning, "Archers in the ranks. Archers in the ranks."

His warning came in time for the girls to whip up a huge gust of wind that diverted a slithering hiss of a deadly rain. Tracey laughed rather smugly about that.

Kaliandra Sedai commanded, "Link with us girls."

A late fired arrow came shooting off to their left, zipping past Harry straight for the extremely old Brown Sister. With his Seeker instincts kicking in, he snatched it on its way by. Fury boiled to the top of his mind as he spun it about to throw it back with an angrily snarled, "You numpties!"

A surge of some sort escaped him as he let it fly. Singing through the air it flew back as dead straight and fast as if he shot it from a bow. In a sickening wet thump it impaled itself in the throat of it's original owner. No one in Harry's group noticed this as they fled , save a paling Harry himself. Shaking his head violently, he grunted an un-worded curse as he wheeled about to rejoin the others. Whatever the Aes Sedai were doing the sporadic rain of arrows was being nicely deflected, allowing the men to engage any Whitecloakes in combat who attempted to block the way.

Using his poleax defensively, Neville was knocking away or breaking catch poles coming in on his side, the big wizard was making a good show of it. Fred and George, ever the deadly Beater duo, were coordinating a defense against Whitecloakes charging them down from that side. Up front were Blaise and Therell cleaving a path through the squads sent out to head the group off.

This left Harry as rear guard. Filling himself with the Void, he drew his sword and mace while guiding his mount with his knees alone. Puffed up bigots thought to ride him down and get to the prizes of the Aes Sedai and girls. Knowledge that if these whited sepulchers caught the witches, his friends and loves would be as good as dead spurred him on to fight even harder.

"Not tonight." he hissed and set to work, glad he had the One Power enchanted tools he had for this type of barny.

Driving into Harry's range with his broadsword slashing the night air was a fairly young fanatic. Opening the young man's throat and half his shoulder in a parrying back swing, Harry's Power wrought blade sliced through the blokes armor like butter. Not done yet the fellows rotten mates tried to encircle the young wizard. His response was to deliver a backhanded smash to one berk that aimed to skewer Harry's horse's hind leg. In a ringing blow it stove in the fellow's breast plate, unhorsing him to die by being trampled in the fight. Whirling his blade in a parrying slash the wizard clove through a catch pole's shaft and the fool wielding it.

Harry let instinct, trained reflexes, and the calm Void guide his hands and horse. Men came, men died, and on his band of friends rode safe with him covering their trail.

As always of late he felt the wild torrent and its malignant thin oily coating of madness seductively calling him. Daring him to just reach out and grasp hold of it. All he had to do was stretch out his will to lay his rightful claim to it. Wrestle it into submission and he would be a god made flesh.

A woman's scream flitted over his emptiness. Another woman was yelling and cursing. Glancing forward he sees Kaliandra Sedai slumping in her saddle as Fred tries to take hold of her reins. In amongst a gang of the blighted white clad thugs was Naleva Sedai struggling with one trying to gut her with a long knife. That is till one of the other rotters clubbed her down with a mailed fist to the back of her skull, crumpling her into unconsciousness.

Harry roared his defiance of these vile souled bigots. Whipping his horse, he charged in and beheaded the knife wielder readying a final coup de gras for the Red Sister. A surging hate filled blow to one's horse's skull ended the beast soon to be joined by its master he trampled. Removing another man's sword arm at the elbow, Harry's mace shattered the collar bone of the gauntlet using blighter.

He was rendered completely feral by the sight of a few circling Luna and Emmatilde. One dared to raise his broadsword's blade to hack Harry's blond love from her saddle. Blood filled his vision as he bellowed in outrage, covering the distance some how in time to crush the evil eyed zealot's back in a screeching hammer blow of the raven headed mace. Other blighters were dragging girls from their horses. Screams of horror mixed with sounds of men dying. Emmatilde was one shrieking from out in the darkness beyond Harry's vision, the sounds of laughing men and ripping clothes joined the evil cacophony assaulting his ears. Seandra was being being bodily dragged by her long flame red tresses out of her saddle where she had been aiding Kaliandra. Therell was hard pressed by ten of the filthy zealots before an arrow out of the night caught him in the guts.

"NOOOOO!" Harry roared as the world snapped into startling focus as he felt dipped in filth. Whitecloakes were falling dead with their throats rent open by flashes of fiery blue light. Others were being crushed in squealing horror by unseen hands of the gods. There were more and more gruesome deaths as Harry's mind sought them out. Then he was on the foul men on poor Emmatilde with his brand, cudgel, and Power whirling in a storm of murderous rage. They did not enjoy their last breaths. Then he fell and all went black.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

AN: Thank you all for giving this story a go and your support. My arm is healing so I may be back to a more blistering pace. As for my use of tense, I will say I write how I speak. Drove all of my English teachers insane, but as Twain wrote. The right word is not always the proper one. Again thank you lot for the reviews, even the critical ones. It means I'm not trapped in a bubble by my disabilities.

Chapter Fifteen: Currents of the Forgotten

Poisonous boiling hot air spun and struggled with a fetid frigid wind straight from some unholy crypt for dominance of the roiling storm tossed skies overhead. A maelstrom of monestrous evils that hammered upon the freezing sweat covered body of Harry's as he strove to reach his destination. Bile bubbling up from his sorely used stomach joined with his dry parched throat and lungs in torturous protest of his struggles through this blighted landscape. A seemingly endless nightmare realm that stretched on like a dry sea of reddish corruption. Life here was not a thing to cherish and death strove with the grave to stay bound in eternal slumber. If there was a Hell then this was most assuredly its dooryard.

Personally if he slowed up any further, this twisted realm would entrap and consume him. How he knew this was anybody's guess. He'd never seen the like of it in his short life. If he could've laid a wager on things as they stand, he'd have like as not put his coins on his not surviving this scenic welcome portion of the Abyss. This was not a place of the Light or mankind. Here was a postcard perfect snapshot of living damnation.

Gagging on the miasmic air gusting about him, he shook off his stupefaction at winding up here as he had next to no clue how he got here. Last he knew was his holding his lovely Hermione in his arms and how dearly he loved her. Why did he have to leave such a moment to end up here? What mortal sin had he committed to deserve this?

Hooting howls of unwholesome residents of this horror broke through his reverie as these signaled he was still being pursued. Sounds of a pursuit that he feared was never going to slow or stop though he had used every trick he knew to escape it. As much as he wished to stand still gawping in dumbfounded terror he dreaded capture more. A nameless fear cut him to the quick, spurring him to move it. If he stayed, he risked that dreaded capture and the witches he loved would be helpless before these vile agents of destruction and the Shadow. Movement and fighting only from positions of strength may turn the tables, or so he hoped at least.

Bypassing the seductive cover of a hedge stand partially filling a bowl like depression, he was wary of what lay hidden in that mess of sickly black and red leaves. Death from the innocuous was all too likely in places that made the rocks literally bleed rancid blood. Evil clung to all that lay under the wane blood red sun scorching these lands.

Images of his loves and friends teased his anxious mind while he stumbled down a rocky draw. Below in the distance stood an ancient looking ruin on a large flat empty plain. Grass the color of dry crusted blood and yellowish green pus shivered unnaturally against the swift gusting winds tearing across the grasslands. Crossing over that would be tricky if some of the corruption of this realm entered him via his battered cut up body. Death would be a more welcomed blessing than living with that malignance eating away at him.

Sword in hand, with sticky slick blood and sweat turning his grip on the hilt into a tenuous affair. One man against so many was a fools errand but he had little choice, he had much to see done here while he still drew breath. People were depending on him, if he failed them, there were none others able to attempt this Hale Mary.

A distant shrieking roar shattered the air as it hammered his ear drums. Explosions of light and other horrors trumpeting from violence had him spin in his steps to see colored light erupting on the horizon. Sounds of it being a battle gave him hope his pursuers were momentarily delayed. Facing them right now in his compromised state would end to his detriment he judged. However he was so bloody tired he feared the confrontation was only a question of when, not an if.

Tripping on a loose bit of shale breaking free of his precarious path sent him tumbling end over end downward. A jabbing twist tore open his sweat soaked coat and shirt as he bounced off some more of the thick flaky stone. Crying out in shock he fought to keep a hold of his blade and not be impaled by it's sharp length. Jouncing and rebounding about more till he came to a rain run off sluice full of loose gravel and rust colored dirt. Acting as quick as he could manage with his injured shoulder, he flung his good arm out with his opposite leg to stop being a human bouncy ball. A clipping catch on his boot's toe spun him where he began to slide face first on his good side.

Coming to rest at the end of the run half over the edge of a short cliff side above the outer trailers of the sickly hued grassland, he groaned in agony as he wriggled his way back from the precipice. Studying the lay of the land in the process told him this was a lucky break. Muddied sweat and blood dripping from his heavily lacerated face poured from him in damp rain of his life fluids. Some spattered the rock wall of the dry rusted red cliff face from his writhing fight to return to safety. A few dribbled droplets even flew out beyond the rest to land next to the unholy field, where that twisted wrong grass stretched for miles. Shivering with hissing snuffles the nearest blades tugged and jerked at their roots to lean out in a mad fight to stretch towards the sanguineous rain. When a few finally made it to brush against the drip puddles he witnessed another unnatural chilling sight. If he wasn't so out of it, he'd have sworn on all that's holy the vile plant life was drinking it up hungrily in hair raising greedy slurps. Visions of what the other worldly ground cover would do to him if he stepped out among it had him clamor backwards all the faster.

A slithering hiss of a thumb thick black arrow had him roll away further in a painful jerk. Cursing his luck's souring so soon and his lagging inattention, Harry staggered to his feet. However his shift of focus helped him catch a glimpse of a broken black basalt stone paved roadway through the evil ravenous pasture land. A second arrow tugged on his matted black locks with its passing wind inches from his right ear, effectively whipping him into a renewed rush to run for it.

If only he could make it to that ebony road to the Stygian City...

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...Grimacing in determination Hermione stabilized her beloved as they placed him on the impromptu horse drawn stretcher. His screams of pain tore at her heart by his tone more than what she heard as it was all only in parseltongue. However Daphne was paling at the words she could understand telling those who knew that this was not his usual quiet introversion. He was giving voice to something that had never been told to anyone.

His eyes stared straight at her as he hissed menacingly, terrifying the plane faced Queen's Guardsman seeing to him. Daphne spat in reply to silence their love, her tears were twin rivers drenching her torn dress.

Rage and terror spewed from Harry as he bucked against them all. It was an eery unholy sound that curdled Hermione's blood. To silence him she flung herself over him pleading with him to not let whatever horror only he could see and feel steal him away. If not for his terrifying use of the One Power to save them the filthy Children of the Light would have ended them all. This patrol of Queen's Guards had arrived late to the fight and in too few of numbers to have turned the tide.

Now he was dying and she knew it would not be gentle if it was the Taint.

Suddenly his eyes became lucid for mere seconds to whisper the most frightening words he'd ever uttered to her. "Hermione kill me while you have the chance. Please..."

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...A hard jolting blow jerked him awake, or he assumed so. The night sky above him was wrong, or at least for the time of year he last remembered. Then there was the fact he was staring into the eyes of a stranger, a young man in a wizard's Healer robes. Hagrid was towering over both him and the fellow waiving a wand over him. Acrid grey black smoke stained the crisp cool night air, choking his lungs as he struggled to speak coherently.

"Do he be alrigh' there Ted? He be such a wee thing." Hagrid boomed while he wept into a table cloth sized kerchief, "Its 'orrible, it is."

"Yes Hagrid. He'll like as not live somehow. Miracle that it is." the Healer confirmed, ignored Harry's strangled mewls to give voice to his complaints and assurances of his well being, "A relief after what happened to Edgar Bo-."

 _ **"KRACKA-cak-BOOOOOMMMM!"**_ a deafening detonation tore through the air, sending even the enormous Hagrid reeling backwards.

"That had to be their ginny. I could throttle Sirius for skying off like he did. Well you never mind that, just bung the little guy into the side car and get him to Albus immediately. I'll send him a Patronus message to warn him since he can't be bothered to show up here." Ted hurriedly bundled him up and shoved him into the stunned hands of the enormous grounds keeper.

"Righ', yer righ'." Hagrid shook himself while steadying his feet back under him, "Yer righ' Ted. Dumbledore'll like as not know exactly what ter do."

Harry wanted nothing so much than to scream in frustration at them to just listen to him, but all that came out was a...

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...whimper. Uncle Vernon's huge boot had left him a crumpled heap on the floor at the man's feet.

"What did you say Freak?" his tormentor rumbled, a slight slurring of alcohol to the words told Harry the Freak that tonight would be unbearable.

When his Uncle drank, Aunt Petunia would vanish with Dudley in tow. Nights like this often would end up with the boy a battered mess in more ways than one. It was not unheard of to have joyous little excursions to the emergency rooms of the local hospitals where Harry would be required to lie about how he had so many fractures from a fall from him imaginary bike.

Always these trips would be to a differing hospital, once even being a two day long ride to Scotland in the boot of Aunt Marge's car.

"Well Freak?" the huge man snarled venomously with a second, third, and fourth kick.

Screaming as something in his chest loudly gave way in a resounding series of cracking pops, he tumble rolled away a few feet from the force used on him. "I like watching _The Celts_ on the telly! Please, I'm sorry I was a bad boy Uncle Vernon. I'm sorry..."

"That's what I thought you said Freak." Vernon drunkenly bellowed in a stifled snort so that the neighbors didn't hear.

To make his point, whatever it may be, the man lumbered over to grind a booted heel into Harry's extended hand. Rice Crispy like pops exploded from the crushing force as the boy limply tried to yank himself free.

Vernon wasn't done though, not by half. "Well Freak, now look what you ruddy well did. You ran off Pet and my boy by your queer ways."

Undoing his belt and yanking it free, the huge man hardly noticed his tent sized trousers falling around his ankles. All he saw or thought about was raising up that thin double upped length of leather to bring it down hard and fast enough to let out an evil hiss that cut the paper thin skin of his prone nephew cowering below. Again and again Harry felt the slashing stripes tear free bloody strips of his malnourished flesh.

"Tonight boy..." the man belched as he rained down the flogging blows, "Tonight I'll teach you ever to think again..."

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...Restraints held him in place as vomit burst from his lips. At his side were his cherished Luna and Parvati valiantly working to hold him still.

He had to escape! He was going mad. The painful memories mixed with and amplified his nightmares. There was no other explanation as he felt a cool wet rag daub away a feverish sweat matting his hair to his forehead. That precious hand holding the now soiled cloth was Hermione's. He recognized her crooning voice as she sang a child's lullaby to him.

Luna took to wiping up his spewed throw up, her luminous soft blue eyes were swimming in unshed tears.

"What was he saying Daphne?" Par demanded of his Slytherin love whom he could not see.

"I can't! I can't say anymore! I won't! I want to kill those rotten sods. Tear their hearts out with my bare hands!" Daphne wept bitterly. "Those bastards. That- He was a monster!"

Harry fought to stay lucid and speak to them, but only more frothy red sputum and bile fountained from his trembling lips...

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...Fetid wind buffeted him along the winding black path. Every single stone of it was a silently screaming face frozen in the throws of wicked minded torment. All shapes and sizes were fitted neatly into it like a quilt of horrors beyond the pall of reason. Little ones with children locked in that horrific moment with an incomprehensible loss of innocence. There were bulky wide ones with heavy set faces pleading with the traveler to have pity and release them somehow. Already twice now he'd lost his footing as he swore these nightmarish carved pavers moved to watch his passing. This last time found him flailing in a fall into a patch of the invading grass, to which he nearly lost his grip on sanity as the razor sharp blades shredded his clothes to slice him open.

Once the grass had succeeded the villainous greenery drank his blood. Small insects swarmed out and were skittering over the stonework paved road to sometimes vanish into an open mouth, never to return Others gorged themselves on the vampiric grass. Sickened by the sights and sounds he jerked his face away in the direction of the mighty ruin dominating the horizon. On some occasions when he looked it was near at hand, while other times it was anything but. For the moment it was neither of these.

A lone moaning cry sounded off from the side hidden in the demented pasture land...

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...His face was being held over a bucket already home to the scarlet laced contents of his stomach. Its rank acidic smell inspired his stomach to dredge up even more to join what was there.

A weary eyed Daphne was paired with Parvati as they kept him from drowning in his own puke he spewed out. A tightness to their lips and bearings told him they had been at this for quite sometime. He wished his throat would work to tell them to stop and rest. He wasn't worth all this suffering on their part.

"Hang on Harry. We've got you love." his sweet Laurel Crown encouraged him. "Let it out now. Don't be afraid to let us help you."

Shadows in the corners of the room shifted and twisted about as if alive. Weakly he stared at them in dumbfounded horror. There were voices inside their depths calling seductively to him. Some were growing bold in requesting he do the unthinkable. A few clear as day took to begging him to unleash his might and butcher these two dearly treasured witches at his side. Murder them then burn the world to the ground.

"NOOOO! No I won't ever do that. Never..." he gurgled defiantly, "You can't make me..."

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...Tears of futile outrage streamed down Daphne's face as she was held close by her rival friends. Her Harry was still gibbering insanely but thankfully about nothing that would haunt her, unlike most of what he'd let out about earlier. Those were too much for her mind to accept in such a large load in so short a time. How anyone could contemplate doing what they had done to Harry or to any child was inconceivable and showed a lack of human worth. Children were treasures that must be cared for as holy. Not what had occurred to her treasured love.

What all she heard was not all about Harry's early childhood, but what there was of it made her want to commit murder on someone. Or more to the point several sodding rotters to be perfectly honest about it. These people would suffer in the most unholy of fashions for all they had perpetrated on a defenseless child. She was under no delusion that they would stop at just Harry alone. What galled was that they had to have been protected by the Ministry as a wizarding child of any mention able strength were given to responding defensively with accidental magic.

Plus there was all the dark sounding nightmares he was suffering from mixed in, guaranteeing she too would experience them if she dwelled on them long at all. Yet she had no inclination to ever run from her Harry. He was the love of her life and she would have him as a Warder husband.

Rubbing her back in small tight circles consolingly, Ginny firmly declared, "It has to be that there are Obliviators standing on call for a lot of that rot to go unpunished. That means Fudge knew all of this and has been actively hushing it up."

Hermione spat, "What of Dumbledore? He had to have had an inkling at the very least."

Daphne couldn't have agreed more. How could he have not known, and why did everyone keep it all a tightly held secret? What gain was there for being a party to such shameful things? Questions she made certain to indelibly mark down in her heart to uncover all the sordid answers for. For right now though she was frightened into tears at what may well be killing her beloved as he lay bleeding from ears, eyes, nose, and mouth. What they had succeeded in getting him to eat failed him spectacularly. This is considering he'd thrown up so much for the last two days straight, all that came out now was putrefied blood to match the viscous stuff seeping from his blazing hot scar. Simply brushing that with the lightest of touches elicits horrific screams of agony from their wizard as well as spurts of the foul fluids hidden inside it.

To top off the run of bad luck, he'd managed to break his leg in the fall from his horse. Setting that had taken all five of his loves holding a part of him as eight full grown men bound him with ropes for the Wise Woman to work her trade on his injuries. When it came time to do the actual setting it took all five witches and their witch friends from Hogwarts casting weaves of Air to immobilize him. His mental faculties may have been dulled by the pain and a powerful pain suppressant tea but he was still a mighty wizard capable of shredding their weaves to try escaping. Without a proper Aes Sedai or witch Healer, this was the best they could do to help set his fracture correctly the first time.

"I wish I knew why." Parvati gritted out with a shake of her head.

Frowning, Luna remarked in her soft voice, "I believe he is going through what Kaliandra called a first draw sickness, or possibly an over draw in his case. It fits with what we've learned of things, and he did do quite a bit in what he used to butcher those bad men. Knowing he was terribly wroth when they nearly killed me for my inattention, he might well have over did what he is capable of. She mentioned witches may fall victim to such if they did too much in their first few accidental brushes."

"That's all well and good Luna, but what I wish to know is a bit more vexing. He's Harry and can survive things others can't, so he'll best this sickness. I have to have faith in that. No that is not what I need to learn Luna." Then with a bitter swallow of anguish, the pretty Lioness added. "Why hasn't he ever told us of all this before now? Does he not trust us?"

"I'm glad you have faith in my Harry. I hated feeling alone in that. As for the other, obliviations hide enumerable sins, but only hide them momentarily." Luna whimpered with such sorrow that Daphne knew that their mutually loved wizard wasn't alone in not sharing a painful past. However the tiny Ravenclaw continued with a distant gaze in Harry's direction, "This is what the Healer at St. Mungo's informed me of after my mother's passing. He refused to simply wave a wand at me when the truth still remained lurking in the shadows till other traumas free it. Facing the whole bitter truth helped me to move on in my own journey to forgiveness."

Daphne looked at her beloved circle of friends and swore vociferously. "He bloody well must have been obliviated on a regular basis. He was crying more than once he recognized a few of the strangely dressed men invading his home or stays at hospital. Bloody buggering rat bastards hid it and worse yet let it go on. Ginny's right, they all ruddy well knew and have brushed it aside for years. Now he's dying and we can't even tell- I can't- none of us can reach him through all that to tell him how much we love and need him."

She came just this side of completely losing it at recognizing this injustice. Ginny and Hermione must have sensed it and wrapped her in a pair of warm hugs.

Luna shook her head and gave Daphne a consoling smile, "He will live. He knows we love him, and that will prevent him from imparting any pain on us in his passing. I have faith."

Daphne wasn't positive that was even plausible. However she refused to gainsay her gentlest friend of this fantasy, not if it helped keep them all sane. They needed hope in order to be here for the others and the wizard they were all mad for.

Standing and moving to his side, she daubed away his bloody froth dribbling from his mouth and nose. Wafting up from that filth and his scar was an unholy miasmic stench that screamed of death and corruption. He'd fought magnificently and now lay dying for his protecting them when they themselves had failed to do so.

"Next fight we have like that, we use the One Power to pre-empt his doing so. If not for him and those Queen's Guards we'd have died from being all about defense alone." she commented darkly, "Those blighted zealots must pay for daring to touch us."

Hermione joined her while wearing a worried grimace, "The Aes Sedai won't permit it. The Three Oaths forbid it. Light I agree we should fight, but what will it cost us?"

Taking her friend by the shoulders, Daphne resisted the urge to scream at the ironic shift of reality to result in a cautious Gryffindor and her own brash thoughts as a Slytherin.

"Look what it nearly cost us to do as they wished for us?" Daphne fumed at her dear worried friend, "We can't go on acting like old Bog Beard Dumbledore and his desire that pacifism rules all of existence. This world is primitive and brutal. If it kills us, we'll have failed in everything."

"Not quite. We'll have successfully became statistics." Ginny popped in with a morbid turn of mind.

Glowering at her, the others- including an oddly stern faced Luna- try to put that out of the red head's mind. Inappropriate was an apropos term in describing any Weasley's humor.

Seeing her friend set straight, Daphne turned away in order to return to caring for Harry. Mopping up the sweaty liquid seeping out of his bandage, she gazed down at her man's dozing visage. No toss pot is ever going to hurt him ever again as long as she draws breath.

"Who?" his eyes pop open sightlessly as he asks that one word question in parseltongue before whimpering in English, "Are you an angel?"...

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...A gentle sea breeze blows through the grass covered sand dunes of a barrier island. It's semi-chilly bite nips at Harry's bare skin, and yet seems to have no ill effects on his unexpected companion of a faceless, indeterminate woman clad only in bright obscuring light. Though he couldn't make out a single identifying feature of her, he had the distinct impression he intimately knew her. That he was somehow in the presence of the greatest love of his life, or was it loves?

How he figured this out, he couldn't put into words exactly. He just did is all.

"Do not worry. That is an emotion you have little need of here." came her choral like voice. There were far more than a few voices in that declaration. Teasing, tantalizing familiarity hung in the air from those cherished voices. He knew them all somehow and yet they were as uncountable as the stars in the heavens to form such an awesome chorus like this.

"Am I dead?" he had to question with only the regret he had failed to protect his loves and friends in the end.

A silent contemplation of him was all he received for a time, till that choral voice replied, "No dear heart, just very, very sick. Heart's Love please do not forget to live." the woman begged before fading away. "Do not forget us or our gift... We beg of you..."

Now totally alone on the hill, he turned to see where he'd came from. In the far distance lay a mighty palatial keep over looking the ocean which was steadily lapping at the shore nearby. The palace was astounding to his eyes, and he felt he not only knew it, but cherished it. And yet it was only a ghost to him at the same time. It was an ephemeral memory that he should not have in his recollection.

At his feet lay the remnants of a picnic with odd looking food and an amphora of wine the warm color of summer wheat. A small wooden box lay in the middle of the tossled cloth rug. It bore a carving of a lion, stag, and tree and screamed of age and power. Clothes too lay strewn wildly about, causing him to notice that he was in his all and all. There next to the wine sat a book face down, but he felt it had been a treasured story of an epic long forgotten to time. This had been an intimate important slice of a life he once knew. This had been his home, and all that he could see was his lands.

A soft hand filled his own...

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...Tenderly Ginny kissed her love's fevered brow, "Come on, live for me Harry. I know you can die for me, but please try to live for me this time. I need you. Pull through this."

Luna's feathery light frame snuggled into her side mumbling, "A golden ring of steel with thirteen pure pearls... The Box of Hearts has the key..."

The minuscule witch always spouted of gibberish when asleep, which alarmed Ginny's mother to no end. Of course loads bothered that woman. Ginny being chief of that endless list, yet Luna was dis-invited to the Burrow after one snoozing muttering of, _"The Hand that Leads sacrifices the King of Ravens for a Stygian Souled Pawn of Solid Ivory..."_

This tiny snippet of nonsense had escaped her childhood friend's lips during a rare visit by Dumbledore the summer before Ron went to Hogwarts. Hearing it had turned the already pale old man an ashen grey. Seeing that, Molly Weasley had forbid Ginny from ever having anything to do with the odd blond again. Almost as fiercely as when she had taken Ginny to task for ever being so pure blind stupid enough to pour her heart out to a talking diary two summers later. Nearly one and all her books were confiscated and set ablaze by her mum with that shrew Aunt Murial's heartless encouragement.

Shivering at the memories, she curses her lot in life as the inconvenient oops of the Weasley Masculine Pride of Lions.

Luna must have felt that and jerked awake. Her wide blue eyes regarded Ginny for a time, then lightly caressed the red head's cheek with a pale, seemingly frail hand, "Don't cry or grow bitter. You're beautiful as you are. The Wheel is not always given to torture. That's why we're here together. Our bonds will only strengthen."

"Bonds?" she snorted in a quirk of amusement, "Are you thinking of bonding me? You do realize I'm a girl too."

Luna didn't answer but instead chose to kiss Ginny's hand with a tender sigh. After that the blond pixy leaned back with a wide mouthed yawn as sleep reclaimed custody of her friend. The muttering returned with this slumber. All of it pure gibberish that made perfect sense only to Luna herself...

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...Fire chased him through the field of unholy grass. Guiding the flames was a madly cackling woman with long silky dark hair and a man held on a leash like a giant poodle. Her outfit was only a loose billowing open silk robe with gilded brocades and matching thigh high suede boots. The man-dog wore only a spiked red leather cod piece.

"Come back my chosen pet! Kneel before me and the Great Lord, and I promise all your misery will vanish." she taunted in a sultry voice thick with a Spanish or Portuguese accent. She would have been a terrifying drop dead sexy vision if not for the blood spattered gore dripping from her and her cowering human pet.

A pair of crooning and very real examples of that bat winged statue at Hogwarts swooped down on him. Razor sharp claws were grasping at him, missing only by his roll to the left. Following that up he retaliated with a flashing swipe of his blade that sheered open the nearest of the two with an oily spray of black blood. Its surviving mate he caught with a wandless wordless spell that ripped its wings off, then flung it out to feed the twisted pasture.

Not slowing to see if the duo died or not, he ran on with a limp he'd earned earlier from a lucky bow shot.

A different mad witch flew past him on a singed broom to do battle with the first, shrieking insanely, "Back off you poxy doxy! Potty must fight the Dark Lord for my hand. MWINE! ALL MWINE!"

Again not looking back to see the results, he ran on. Hopes of the vile pair of scary slags shredding each other into giblet gravy sang in his near panic stricken soul...

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...Luna slid into bed with him. She must reach him or life would be a tenuous and short affair for them both, and her treasured friends. Trusting the Wheel was hard for her to do, so she set her mind to help healing him as best she could. At the moment this required her warming his sweat soaked but icy flesh. Aside from his scar and broken leg, he was freezing to the touch. Very much like that of a corpse.

Chaffing his flesh as she melded her body to his, lending her life's vital warmth as he did for her that one fateful night so long ago. If she did not have to consider that people wouldn't understand, she'd do this in her all and alls to transfer the heat that much faster. Delicately threading a series of warming weaves of Fire, Water, Air, and Spirit into him, she begged him to return to her.

Another warm body joined hers. By the delicate exotic scent alone, she knew it was Parvati. Turning to look up into the beautiful occidental witch's face, Luna stifled a gulp of aching emotions. Her Harry's life depended on keeping her rival close. If only the girl wasn't so gorgeous that it reminded the tiny Ravenclaw of her inadequacies and secreted away facets of her nature. However for her lovely future Warder and husband she'd face dragons.

Could she stand any one learning all of her dark truths? At a touch of his hand gripping her hand told her that this was a yes.

Parvati's eyes implored her to let her join in with this attempt to safeguard Harry's life. Why did the other girls of the five have to be so stunningly perfect beauties compared to her coltish self? She nevertheless adored them almost as much as she felt for her dying soul mate. Denying this would only cause hurt to them all.

Lifting the cover slightly higher, she let her prettiest rival in. Surprisingly the older girl hugged Luna as tightly as if they both belonged here holding him like this. When the realization of this feeling flirted with the pair they shared a shy smile that blossomed across both their faces. For now they would be here for him. A moment that temporarily lifted the pall of gloom choking them.

However suddenly their wizard spat and hissed violently as he painfully crushed them to his chest as if afraid...

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..."No Lily, I will not permit it. Neither of those sodding tossers-!" a man yelled startling Harry to wakefulness.

"James!" a woman's voice he recognized from a terrifying nightmare memory, barked back. "Don't you dare wake Harry over this."

"Dang, sorry I bloody well forgot. He's always so quiet." James apologized before speaking some more in a whispery hiss, "Lils I just don't trust or like them. Snivilus is a right rotten bugger and ol' S-."

"Don't you dare say it. You know what he means to me. I don't want to go there. I love you with all my heart, but without him I'd have left school and never became anything. He rescued me James." Lily's voice was nearing.

Harry was unhappy that he seemed to be immobilized somehow by muscles with the squishy strength of a plush toy. His looking about his prison gave him the disturbing impression he was trapped in a baby's crib. Clutched tight to him was a small plush toy broom and black funnily smiling raven.

Frustration had him howl.

Rushed footsteps produced James alongside Lily at about the same time. Warm loving faces gazed down at him, calming his mounting anxiety. His mum was glowing with bright green eyes he'd only ever seen in one other person besides himself. Yet here and now he had difficulty in placing a name to such a person though he knew her face quite well.

"Lils," James cautiously spoke while wrapping an arm around Lily's waist, "I won't have him in Harry's life. It's bad enough what he done to you and Nicci. What if he tries to do it again? Or teach-?"

"May I remind you that I was a perfectly willing participant James?" Lily warned while reaching down to pick up Harry, "This is the Age of Love and Freedom my darling. You didn't object when we were dating?"

"Lils, you were fourteen I think when it started." James pointed out darkly.

A shadowy pooling of tears were hid from Harry's dad by her glorious long straight red locks, "Twelve. I was just turning twelve when... You have to love who will give it back in some way. Besides, you were hardly a saint. I know what and who-."

A warning sounder dinged and caused James to curse, "Bloody Dumbledore this time. I'll go see what he's up to."

"Probably needs us to help hide someone else like always. Blimey won't it be brilliant if it's Nicci. I miss her and she has a son now too. They'll grow up brothers just like me and her planned for our kids." Lily sniffled with hopeful giggles.

James grew quiet as he asked, "Do you truly love me?"

"Yes James you great prat you. If it's Nicci, think of this as you getting a second wife. She's my other me. The sister Tunie never wished to be with me. Just imagine if we can bring in Ams too. She loves you more than she could ever say and now she's caring for little Susan." Lily was rocking Harry as she kissed his father soundly.

"Blimey you've turned my life on end Lils. You do realize I'm your wizard alone, not some bit of communal witch property?" James said in passing while leaving to greet their ancient guest downstairs.

Now alone with his mum, Harry tried to reach up and touch her tear stained face. She aided him by nuzzling his own face, "I do James but what will you do if you learn that Bella cursed me so that Harry will be our only child? My lovely, beautiful baby boy. I swear you'll grow up loved and treasured. You'll never be alone, unlike me..."

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...Running her hand through her love's dark sweat matted hair, Parvati kissed his trembling lips. Every once in a while his fevered eyes flew open with twitching madness. Like they did now at the touch of her lips.

"Parvati, will you go to the Yule Ball with me?" he begged her in a long hidden timidity he once lived inside when doing something for himself.

Kissing his lips once more, she whispered through her suppressed sobs, "I'd love to Harry. I really want to go back there."

A rictus of pain twisted his features as he tried to speak. Creaking joints from his muscles spasming in a violent endless storms of agony gave her an involuntary shudder. Trying to draw him in closer to herself she held him through it and those trimmers that ensued. She'd be his rock in this and all that life hurled their way.

When it subsided, he lolled over her way, "I love you... love..." His eyes feverishly studied her for a time, "Perfection."

Tears leaked down her sore cheeks as she kissed him, "Then you best stick around to enjoy my dazzling brilliance..."

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...Children were charging this way and that on the play parks many ingenious contraptions of wondrous diversion. All but two, both of whom were outcasts from even the weird science mad kids. Harry's black eye and busted lip- earned from learning the hard way not to draw a picture of a pretend perfect home with his missing parents- was protectively holding his one lone friend as she cried in terror. Supposedly her daddy had just left her with a handful of strange gold and silver coins and a pat on her head to be good as he took a holiday with her lone remaining aunt. Every time a trip like this took place he'd come back smiling, wealthier, and scarily alone.

"Harry," she murmured into his chest, gripping tight his gift to her of a prized jump rope, "You're my bestest friend ever."

He blushed and tried to downplay his present for her, "I couldn't take it home anyway. Freaks can't read so I couldn't have won it in a spelling bee."

She frowned hard then kissed his nose so hard and fast it reopened his swollen lip. She may have said something but for a looming shadow above them...

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...Losing faith in one's heroes is never an easy event, however Hermione was beginning to loath her kind and its leaders. Chief among them were the Ministry and Dumbledore for putting Harry among such people. He was supposedly all wise and knowing yet he incredibly missed all this? Lies will fail and truth will out.

Washing Harry's face clear of the muck coating it, she focused solely on her love of him. One day she'd be his wife and from then on he'd live safe and free with her and their hordes of children. A family they both needed and deserved alongside their dreams of being people to bring needed change to life for so many in need. If only he'd just accept that fate now so that they may get a head start before some graver mischance took place. Robbing them both irrevocably of the other.

Luna was gazing at her with red rimming her tender cool blue eyes. Sharing a look of mutual commiseration they remained silent. As odd as it sounded, and by her own judgement of things, Hermione cherished her rival friends dearly.

Reaching over to the blond she took the girls hand in her own. Though she would never walk away from having Harry as hers, she wanted the absolute best for these four other witches. Luna appeared to understand this and gave her just as tender a determined grin. Not even the Shadow could break their friendship they found here.

Fred stuck his head into the room to hurriedly inform them, "Get our gallant hero there ready to move. Trouble is brewing that these Queen's Guards can't protect us from. Neville's command, not my own if you lot wish to hex someone."


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

AN: I know that last chap is weird but it was the first half to this one. I am trying to write a longer story here than what many that read Fanfiction may like. To do that I must build what Rowling did not give us. Character development, background, and for this series in my own work is foreshadowing. Without it the tale falls on its hindquarters with nothing of value to offer anyone. If this grates on some I am sorry but I wrote this for myself and then was encouraged to post it. Please bear with me. First and foremost remember that Harry and company are children that have no clue as to how to live as independent people. To get them there I must build them up and explain why nothing was done for them by those that should have done so. No child that has been raised like these would defy those they follow as leaders. Dumbles and company have made pawns not future leaders. He wants them to fling themselves in front of curses for martyrs not to make heroes. In this story they can not simply think, "Hey Dumbles was an arse and I need to think for myself." None of them have been given that, and there are no "Gringotts Will Readings" to set them straight. Look at Neville here and think of why he has to grow a pair. He's been given nothing to believe he can outside of being the brunt of a joke. Harry is a child raised under the stairs and starved or beaten if he even thinks for himself. Hermione was raised by upstanding "Muggles" who live in a world where law and order are adjustable to the needs of the people and justice so she trusts those in authority like Dumbles, but that is not how the magicals live. Look at the ruddy Weasleys and Malfoys, both clans push through laws only to hinder the others but not to live by in their own lives as they are both given to cruelty and hurtful attacks on those they seek to punish. Dumbles has no care when it comes to children as worth more than a passing thought, why else does he pull the crap he did the entire series. So please bear with me, the story is here to build the characters up. Without story development this tale will be too trite to do justice to someone like Robert Jordan who was a writer 100% better than JK "I Chuckle at Child Abuse" Rowling. Sorry if this offends some, but as a child raised in similar if less violent situations I get angry at making light of Child and Domestic Abuse. This is why I am trying to write Harry and company free of the insanity as best I can. It takes time to accept and see one's own worth. It never takes just one day in a journey of any sort.

Chapter Sixteen : Black Hole Sun

Standing guard in the hall that connected the rooms Harry, Therell, the two Sisters, and the traumatized Emmatilde were recuperating in, Neville's eyes were coldly watching for trouble. They had been saved by Harry's inexplicable and terrifying use of the One Power and the arrival of some watchful Queen's Guardsmen. Whitecloaks had been out hunting for supposed Darkfriends among the loyalist rural communities, and just so happened to have uncovered the group of villainous Aes Sedai witches performing the darkest of rituals with a bonfire in naked unnatural debauchery.

At least that is what the dying zealot Neville had cut out of his horse purportedly said to the Andoran troops. Thankfully some of the men and officers that rescued Neville's group of friends were on rotation from Caemlyn and personally knew the Hogwarts Five. A twist of fate or luck that gave him a better respect for the fickle turnings of the Wheel and its infernal Pattern.

It gives and takes away in the same breath. First it bestowed on them the ability to finally leave the boiling cauldron of a city for the fabled Tar Valon, then having to do it on the sly out the proverbial backdoor. Next they seemed to have given the irrate Elaida the slip, only to find the roads a nightmarish mess. This led to the current calamity, this ambush and its horrifying aftermath. It left Kaliandra Sedai feathered by two arrows, Naleva Sedai very nearly had her head caved in, poor Emmatilde was in a bad way after a gang of rotters tried brutally take her, and that was just the women Neville and the boys had sworn to protect with their lives. His fellows guarding the witches took some hard blows as well. From Harry's oddly being unhorsed after the battle was done and disaster averted, which left his mate busted up something terrible. Plus he was unnaturally sick for some reason, wailing and ranting in agony when not hurling up any and everything they managed to get down his throat. And finally the seemingly implacable Therell was struck by an arrow in the guts and was expected to not live out the night. A terrible truth of medieval life and its distinct lack of decent medical care. The boy wizard knew in his heart that if back on his own Earth the old warrior could have been otherwise saved.

Trying not to cry like some giant wanker as he was now sort of the leader for the Hogwarts crew, Neville set his mind on how to keep them all safe like Harry would. As his best mate's second in command he was expected to take on Harry's larger than life mantel, if only temporarily like he hoped against hope it turned out to be. If left up to him and not the harsh Pattern, he'd prefer to find a way to Heal the lot and be on their way. Possibly even for home and well shot of this mad house of a world.

To that effort of healing up all their injured, Neville took to putting people in coordinated teams to see them all taken care of. Currently that had Fred and George working with Angelina and Alicia on creating blood replenishers and the trickier flesh re-growers. It may give them all away, however they were needed in support of the hard pressed Mother Ceariden's efforts to save the old Warder and Aes Sedai. But it may be too late as these sorts of potions took time to brew effective doses. At least the pain relief draughts were quicker to produce and had salved their casualties. All except for Harry whose sickness was almost impervious to aid, and poor Emmatilde in her recovery from her near rape. The girl's mind could not be healed by physical means to Neville's chagrin. Thinking of it and that not so distant night gave him a burning rage to come close to rivaling Harry's dark reprisals for the Whitecloaks.

Glancing at the girl's room he heard Tracey or Ginny's spell muffled voices comforting the distraught farm girl, since the pair made certain she was never alone by using scheduled shifts. What they said exactly he couldn't hear from the interference of the spell to his relief that the Queen's Guard wouldn't be privy to it. Though as he cared for them all, including the two Ghealdaner girls, he wished he would be in the know. Padma had told him that it was best he didn't and that the girls had muted it to protect some long hidden secrets too hurtful for common knowledge. However him and the Weasley Twins had begun to suspect something they would take care of when they had managed to return home. Blaise's own stony silence only served to heighten this certainty when he was asked.

Hating this feeling of impotence, Neville glanced towards the infirmary rooms that held Harry and Therell. With so many girls capable of using Saidar it was eerily easy to pass his best mate's murderous rampage off onto the traumatized girls. Yet it was frustrating that the wizard could die from it as well. Whatever he had done was costing him, and no one alive today could say why.

"Knut for them." Padma broke his distracted powdering of their troubles, "I can see you have them so don't you dare deny it." Around her neck was a bandage covering the injury she received at the end of a catch pole. Neville had personally gutted the tosser responsible for it. This elegant angel was his life now, she had replaced all those he lost in coming here and more. All of his love and affection belonged to her.

"I'm not ready to lead us. Harry always has been good at this type of thing. I'm going to make a right bloody muck of it all. I always do." he confessed worriedly, "Besides that, we might lose all of them and still not get to Tar Valon. I'll have lost us my best mate, my mentor, your teachers, and maybe that poor girl in there. For what? A power mad cow's plots and a roving band of ruddy bigots? I can see why Harry has that irritated twitch he gets in his eye now and then."

Being her usual calm and collected self, she patted his cheek affectionately. "You and him are the same. Bull headed, riddled with self doubt, and so soft hearted that if anyone is hurt, you blame yourselves and not who should be held accountable. You can't do that to yourself Nev. It doesn't help and your better than that."

He just stared dully into her eyes. A shudder came over him as he beheld her bandage and the other visible scratches that crisscrossed her face. He wanted and needed her, and so desperately wished she would forgive his failing in protecting her. He wished he could be a Healer instead of a ruthless trained killer. To fix problems instead of causing them. It was easier to carve off a pound of flesh from a man than to repair that.

He was becoming a monster and had no idea how to ever make amends for it. He wasn't worthy of this gentle doe of a witch that stood gazing at him.

"Are you ignoring me?" she archly asked with her hands finding purchase on her hips and an elegantly shaped eyebrow quirked in irritation.

"Never. I was just thinking how I would love to heal and not hurt others for a change." he sheepishly grinned apologetically, "But I'm not a bit sad I ended those sods. It's wrong, but I feel it was right. Bloody well still is for that matter. What I fear is that my only worth is as a glorified attack dog."

Pinching her lips with one hand touching her bandage, she met his eyes. Entrapping him within her dark endless pools, eventually she relaxes, and spoke with a hitch in her voice, "I hate that I-," there was a swallowed pause before she went on, "I hate that it was you who had to do it. But they were evil. You are not evil. Never think that my love."

Mother Cearidan poked her aged head out of Therell's door, "Goodman Longbottom the Warder Therell wishes to speak with you. I suggest you hurry."

Fear clenched his insides as he entered the room with Padma holding his hand for support. It might not be St. Mungo's but it was giving him the same dead empty feeling. Impotent to change anything or save anyone, he was just Neville the Squib King of Hogwarts.

The fetid tangy smell that hung in the air made his stomach clinch down tight on what little he'd managed to eat since being brought to the Queen's Guards barracks in Aringill. What he saw made it a herculean feat to not retch, for upon a pallet like bed lay a man he thought of as family. Tearing the air of the one time junior officer's quarters was the spine chilling screams of his brother in all but name next door. A hissing mutter replaced it and made Neville's skin crawl. Parseltongue was not an awfully pretty language to hear and this sounded more like it was the most venomous of curses.

It intensified the dark image of Therell in haunting Neville the rest of his life. Pallid and covered in a slick silvery sheen of sweat, palsied by age and fatal injuries, this one time paragon of Warder virtue and masculine strength was staring up at him with sunken eyes. Here was the lone man to have treated Neville as a man of worth and not a bumbling idiot deserving of scorn. Where once there was aged steel in the fellows face and body, there now existed a mere ghost of that, and it was tortured by a wane wasting. Those iron hard eyes were hardly visible in their shadowy caves as they regarded the scared boy wizard.

Neville wished nothing more than to howl in agony and loss of the injustice in the Pattern's unfathomable blanketing of time. He had to bury himself in the Void or he'd do just that and ruin this final moment. In there was the comforting light of the Pattern shining through Neville's anguish.

"Come here my lad. I'm not much longer for this turning of the Wheel. As I'm giving the very last shred of my strength to my Kala. I pray it's enough to stay the Wheel's hand and spare her." the gruff warrior coughed with a frail palsied beckoning hand.

Internalizing his sorrow, Neville obeyed with Padma's lent strength. Both teens were fighting back tears. With every step they smelled the infection that much more strongly. It was gagging, but a Warder ignored outside distractions to master himself.

"I stand ready Brother." he intoned in a choking voice. All that he felt and saw was close to breaking free of the Void and unmanning him in a drowning flood of suppressed horrors.

"Excellent lad, but what I'm going to say needs more than a Warder's-," Therell began a coughing fit that dredged up a blood tinged phlegm, when it passed he continued, "Bloody Whitecloaks. Now lad, you are in charge of them all, at least till Harry- till Har-," more coughing stalled him in straining breaths, "Till Harry can take charge, if that ever comes. It will take too long for my Kala to get well. If she does, for I fear my passing won't aid her. Elaida must not gain custody of these darling lasses. Even that-" a shuddering wheeze stole the old man's voice again, but Neville refused to hurry him in saying more or to give up to the cruel Wheel. "Even that Naleva knows this in her own way. Take Harry and the others and go. Go to my homeland of Cairhien across the river. She won't be able to touch you there, but don't let your guard down over there." Then the man turned towards Padma, "Bond this boy when you can. He'll do you right. Oh Kala! I have no more... no... none..." Therell coughed a few more paltry gurgles, followed by a thin reedy breath.

Mother Ceariden bustled over, then looked them both in the eyes, "We can get you out and across now but that is all. We dare not risk more for fear of our discovery. Yet we know that none of us will do well under Elaida. My son Geth and his boys will see to ferrying you and your friends down river."

Gobsmacked, Neville asked, "What of Naleva and Kaliandra Sedai? And who in the Light are you?" He was not going to bollox things up by trapping them in worse straights.

"The Red Sister will be fine in time, but I fear she has strange loyalties. As for Kaliandra Sedai, I doubt she will live the night from her broken heart. She has always adored her great grand nephew. The Light bless her she has always been a friend to us that the Tower must never learn of. Now hurry please. We don't have much time." the aged Healer begged. A sincerity about her hurried the teens along. He felt as if he just tossed some dice and had to wait to see what the pips said.

"I'll go get the boys. We'll get the lot ready ma'am. Pads go see if you can help Tracey or Ginny with Emmatilde." he responded but not before him and Padma took hold of Therell's hands. He hated gambling, "Rest easy Brother, I'll see them safe."

Dearly wishing he could lend the man his own strength to keep on fighting, he willed the Wheel would give them this at the least. Save this man that had became a second father to Neville in replacement of the one it stole from him.

Leaving after a chilling surge of emotions washed away his grip on the Void, he drew on his love's support to stay focused. It was time he grew up and faced what he'd gladly laid at Harry and Therell's feet for so long. The group lived still and must have a leader and it was given to him to fill that role.

Gathering up the others took amazingly little effort outside a terrifying wall of five stony glares from his best mate's girls. But him and Pads had decided to avoid speaking of what all else was occurring tonight. They were having their own difficulty in processing the harsh truth themselves. Losing old Therell and most likely Kaliandra Sedai both in one night would cut them all to the quick. More and more he had to channel what he knew and felt Harry would say or do. If not for his lovely Padma, he felt he'd be bolloxing this up to no end. But Harry and Therell trusted him to handled this. Entrusting him above all the rest of their group to see this through with or without them. So he had no choice but to prove their trust was well founded.

Once they were on the far shore with Mother Ceariden's family guiding the ferry away. Pulling out into the murky night's obscuring blanketing, Neville felt he could tell them. Or at least some of it, "Therell's condition is not good. If he passes it may well take Kaliandra Sedai along with. Naleva might pull through, but that's not our concern anymore. We can't risk being caught by either Elaida or the Whitecloaks. So we hide here in Cairhien till Harry pulls through." He could not tell them that it was like as not going to be that they would be seeing to their friend's funeral soon as well.

"So where do we go?" Blaise asked with a choking cough. A glimmer in the dark skinned Slytherin's eyes said he understood that which Neville feared to give voice to. "We shouldn't sit here on the waterfront."

"You're right, we go farther away from the river as far as we dare. We can't risk them sighting us and taking a shot on us. When the Aes Sedai pull through they will look for us there. But here we're just targets for an opportunistic yeoman." Neville tried to sound more sure of himself than he felt. Using his best impression of Harry he could present on such short notice. "We've been dealt some rotten luck here, but we don't have time to whine over it. Now Maerone has good inns, we might hole up in one for tonight or set off immediately. I'm favoring a night here and slipping away in the predawn morning if we can score a cart to haul Harry with. We can't carry him safely otherwise but I'll be buggered if I'll leave him for that harpy either. What say you lot?"

Harry's gaggle of witches all nodded in tired mute acceptance. The others exchanged glances and followed suit with mournful breaths. Grimacing, Angelina looked about and declared, "We'll need to locate a safe spot Harry can recover in without worsening things. Just what we need, Harry catching pneumonia or even the ruddy plague."

"That would ruin more than our day I think." Alicia smirked waterily.

Blaise was scratching his cheeks before stating, "I'll find us a good one."

"Make that us." Tracey slid up and took her boyfriend's hand, "You lot don't be for wandering off too far. This won't take that long."

Hand in hand they scuttled away to retrieve their horses. Fred and George took up the watch while Neville and Padma gave Harry a pain killing tonic. Watching his best mate writhing about like this had Neville afraid once more. Was this what awaited all the wizards? He didn't want to die, especially in excruciating agony like this. However he had to admit that taking the witches to that other world would have been horrible as well. Far better to die himself than subject the girls to chattel slavery.

When Blaise and Tracey returned they didn't look pleased. "It feels funny here. We have a room but let us Slytherins do the general talking. Everywhere we went had the feeling of being a side business of some of our House mates. Therell told us it was common in his homeland but now I know that he understated things. We're literally in a country that the national past time is Daes Dae'mar." Blaise informed them with his eyes scanning the crowd for emphasis.

"Well Therell did warn us to be on alert." Neville grunted tiredly and again wished for the old Warder to somehow pull it out, "So do we all have rooms or is it the stables for us wizards as usual?"

"Yes but you're not going to like it. We need to put on a bit of a show. Neville you can't be seen as our leader and dressed like a commoner as you are now. So my retiring fellow of a mate, you are going to have to look aloof, arrogant, and in one of your best changes of clothes. Padma, you and Parvati will need to help him. We're all going to pose as a group of lords and ladies that had been on a lark across country. This will require some of us to act as mere servants. I'm sorry. I'll act as Neville's aid decamp with Tracey as Padma's handmaid. Daphne will be Parvati's best friend and as their handmaids will be Hermione and Luna. The Weasleys and you other girls will be the retinue of common servants such a foray hauls about with it. Fred, George remember what all Master Therell taught us of the Game of Houses. Try not to botch this up as even the street rats we saw in the town were eying us like a good Slytherin in search of advantage."

This all said and everyone dressed their parts, they followed Blaise to the road. However a flighty pair of meadow lark type birds shot out in front of Harry's horse he was strapped to. In a bucking whinny it shook its burden from its back. A sharp crunching snap made Neville near lose his last meal as his now screeching mate lay crumpled up in an unnatural heap that the horse stumbled on. Rushing to calm the startled brute, Neville saw that his friend's leg was unset in the fall, but now also had his right arm too twisted around the wrong way.

"I be a good boy Unka Vernon! Pwease forgive me! I won't do again..." Harry wailed and tried to cower before snarling something in Parseltongue. Whatever it was Daphne winced while she dashed to his writhing broken side.

Neville did not like the sound of that plea. If one day he could, and his brother could not, he'd see that justice was brought to those rotters, the Dursleys. For the now he had to see that Harry was seen to once more by a Healer."

Battling the broken wizard back into being strapped to his horse took an unnerving amount of time. Shocking eruptions of accidental magic mixed with wild flailing fisticuffs that even sent George and Neville a sailing through the air were the order of the day. Luckily Luna grew a grim set to her normally dotty features and Harry was bodily picked up by some unseen hands.

"No Harry, you must stop this so that we can get you to safety." she scolded and miracle of miracles the raving mad wizard silenced into a mewling terror. Then the tiny witch lightly kissed him with a quiet plea, "Don't run and hide my love. We're here to care for you. You're safe with us. Safe."

Now with a contrite and controlled Harry, they found the River Gate and the conveniently nearby River Gate Inn. Quicker than he feared but still taking ages in his mind, they had a local Wise Woman and her lazy eyed young assistant seeing to the busted up wizard. With that done to everyone's relief they paid for a private dining room to keep up appearances. Though only Neville, Daphne, and the Patils would be availing themselves of it. This effectively turned the meal into a semi silent affair. Worry for Harry along with Neville's unease at being separated from the others kept all the actual conversations strained and light.

Sleeping that night alone in a relatively large bed reminded him of how he had grown accustomed to having the others, especially his Padma near to hand. It was too quiet, far too soft, and awkwardly cold. Even the cot in the servant's quarters of the Queen's Blessing had been shared with Harry and Blaise, even though it had been less than a forth the size of this downy monster. But lordlings never slept with others unless they were married, and then only on rare intimate occasions.

The next day they purchased a carriage and cart. A sick lordling like Harry couldn't be forced or expected to ride, and neither could his distraught betrothed. Aside from this they purchased more provisions and extra knickknacks. Letting his love and her "helpful" handmaid Hermione loose on the central market unattended ended up with the duo stripping a book dealer's cart bare. Blaise also found a set of signet rings for Neville, Harry, Daphne, and the Patil twins. Nobles had seals and these were as best he could find with Tracey, Daphne, and Luna's aid. What had been dug up was all rather unique. Neville's was a bear rampant beside an Oak tree in fall colors. Padma's, by her choice was an alabaster dove and moon on lapis lazuli. Greedily Daphne snatched up a leaping doe with a laurel leaf crown on beryl. Parvati trembled as she took a lioness and doe at rest at the base of a raven crowned tower. Finally the last being Harry's, which was actually uncovered by Luna seemingly at random, was an alert stag with a raven in its antlers over a blossoming lily. All were fairly nice looking and pronounced serviceable by the trio of Slytherins.

Once free of Maerone and on the road again it took some time to acquit Angelina and Alicia with the mechanics of driving a cart and carriage. Ironically Blaise of all people was the one to instruct them. More of his experience on his one time stepfather's ranch, which only made Tracey and Daphne snicker over some inside joke.

Putting to use Hermione's incredibly valuable atlas, the band made their way deeper into Cairhien. Neville had thought paying the equivalent of eight hundred Andoran Marks in Manetheren Eagles, or two thousand good but lesser Gringott's Galleons, was an exorbitant expense for a simple book of dodgy maps. After all, even he knew you could pick up such things back home for next to nothing. But Therell had whistled appreciatively of Harry's coup at paying so little for so many rare more or less accurate maps. Now Neville could see why it was such a kingly gift.

The going was slow, agonizingly slow to be exact. To keep up the illusion they even had to erect a complete set of tents for the women every night, along with one for Harry and Neville. This bit of lunacy had him wishing Harry would get well soon so they could drive on straight for Tar Valon. However they dared not to pull that for the fear they aggravate the boy wizard's injuries, or worse re-break them. Adding misery to their anguish was his falling ill to a similar illness to Harry's for a day or two. He wasn't as out of it but he did live in a world not totally part of reality, plus he felt as if he'd been misted with something unholy that seeped into every single one of his pours.

Fear for the wizards paralyzed the lot till his Padma took charge backed up by her sister, Hermione, and Daphne. He was only partially lucid for this time and had no idea what they were doing as he traveled the merry roads of insanity and hurling every last bit of his food up. All this was flirting with his dreams of one day becoming a Healer in the moments his mind could hold a thought longer than if he was getting ate alive by a giant skrewt.

Waking up and feeling loads better after Padma's forcibly tying him to his camp bed at some point, made Neville dread having to face her and what he may have let slip in his ravings. Realization that they must have been forced to stop and hunker down shamed him. All he must have required was a good rest. Freeing himself of her restraints took a bit of using his Warder training but he managed it. Seeing his packs he decided he should change out of his breech clothes and freshening up as he stank of vomit and worse. For his first steps outside he wished to feel and look civilized. Since they had to look the fictional part of lords on a lark gone wrong he put on his second best fancy outfit. It was at the very least a touch lordly and not like he played Seeker for the other team. His mate was the lordly type, or Blaise for that matter. Not Neville though he was tasked with leadership till Harry was back on his feet, so a lordly ponce he must portray.

Combing a hand through his long shaggy blond mane, he shook off a chill he felt suddenly, "Well its time to admit she was right." He chuckled as he remembered once screaming at her for stopping for him when they had to get safely to Tar Valon.

Stepping out he caught sight of Luna cooking a breakfast of fish and griddle cakes. Humming a happy tune she picked up from that old gleeman Thom, she was eying the fish for a moment, judging its doneness. "Up you get." She commanded and the fish stood on its sizzling tail, "Over I think." and it flopped itself on its other side, "You too." that had the griddle cakes jump and perform spectacular back flips.

There must have been a cool breeze as he was caught by the urge to shiver as a chill ran up his spine and over his skin. But this didn't effect the other member of the tiny blond's audience nearby.

Watching was a teary eyed Emmatilde who smiled for a change, "You keep them in line so well Luna. I can't wait to eat mine."

"Thank you, Emm. I hope I don't let them burn themselves though. That would be vexing." the eternally calm blond smiled at the girl.

Smiling himself, Neville looked around for his Pads. Being near her lifted his day out of any funk he'd found himself in, and that was even before they became boyfriend and girlfriend. After this change in status she put focus to his sluggish thoughts and helped cover up his glaring faults. Now if he could ever find a way to ask such a magnificent witch to marry him.

Crawling out of the tent the "servant" girls shared, Seandra made a yelp at seeing him and dove headfirst back in. Clutching tight her night robe close as she did it too. Not that he was likely to see anything under that ankle length tent of fabric, but realizing once more that this was a medieval world with bewilderingly different social mores he had to blush. Dressed as she was, she probably was dying in the embarrassed thought that he saw her in only a scanty pair of knickers and a smile. Which irritated him some as well. Not that he disapproved of modesty, it was just odd to see it in a person fully draped in cloth.

This little drama also made it clear to him how early it was. Everyone might more or less still be asleep, with the exception of his mates, Luna, and Emmatilde. Therell had worked hard at banishing any ounce of slothfulness in the wizards till sleeping in was an unnatural event. And with only a cursory examination of the camp revealed Blaise was checking the horses as the twins began loading up what they could. Much as he itched to join them, he had to remain the aloof lord.

Out of the "ladies" tent came his Padma, radiant as ever. A silk scarf covered her still healing neck, and her dress robes from the Yule Ball stole his breath in need of her. Seeing him she smiled demurely, effectively dizzying him for the lack of oxygen his mind was receiving. An angel made flesh is how he saw her. How could she ever love an oaf like him?

Deciding he would just come out with it and face what he feared he'd done or said in his delusional state to her, he put on his best winning sheepish grin and in a self deprecating chuckle said, "You were right. I needed to rest. I feel like all the gold in Gringotts."

"Of course I was right silly. Now come and kiss me good morning. The only way I can think clearly this early in the morning is with one of your mind blowing kisses." she blushingly invited him with open arms.

"As my lady love wishes." he chuckled in a florid bow that nearly over tipped him, before he complied with her seductive demands of him.

Whispering into his lips, she held him tight as she melded herself into him seamlessly. "We've uncovered more. We've been reading old Snakeface's material and what he suggested makes me glad I'm here with you."

Concerned and not wishing to let either Emmatilde or Seandra hear anything he suggested, "Well we might stay longer then. To let Harry have a better break. I need to walk out the kinks anyway. Care to accompany me milady?"

His mates gawked at him till he groaned, "I'd hate to be bitten by a snake, but with two watching it shouldn't be a problem."

That had the guys unloading again with comments about needing to practice their forms some more. Just to get the kinks out.

Strolling away together hand in hand, him and Pads went a goodly distance from camp to stop in a quiet grove to talk it over. "What did you lot find?"

"Slytherin believed we would have a Dragon Reborn back home. He is always mentioning some writing called the Akkonite Oracles or maybe it's Prophecies, and the message they tell of a Dragon that shatters the world over the Fortress of the Stygian Winged. That and there is his partaking of the bitter bite of the Cup he did not lift." Padma looked around nervously, "Salazaar was barking mad sometimes, but these were rather frequent and direct warnings. I think we have no choice but going on to Tar Valon to learn everything we can before going home and finding our own Tarmon Gai'don."

"Isn't that why we've not pulled stakes for home already? Well not the Final Battle bit, but still." he said while images of that war in the memories of Slytherin's Truth hit him in a nauseating wave. A surging hope washed over him with these terrifying sights, "You don't suppose it was this Corind fellow he was on about?"

"No. I'm sorry dear heart but he can't have thought that. He said many things and one was that the Dragon would rule the skies over the realms of the High King unseen by common man till the Shattering Blow that burns the City of Legionary Conquest. So you see he can't have been talking about Corind, as I think he was telling of a wizard from England. Well that's what me and Daphne feel. Hermione is coming around but we all agree that the Wheel sent us here to relearn how to channel before the Shadow rises back home." Padma trembled violently in adding, "Then there is the one time he mentioned that the twice built hidden bastion will be as a home to him. We're terrified Nev."

Carefully he wrapped her up in his arms to stay the shivers she was plagued with, "It doesn't mean he will come in our time. And that's a bit thin to say that it wasn't Corind and the Dragon will walk our world once more."

Clinging to him Padma trembled. All about them was a weak spring, but some life was returning. It gave him hope, and he wanted her to feel it from him. Life was there and not going to vanish anytime soon. He loved and needed her, and to him she was his life and hope of a future beyond the imaginings of a mere boy."

Her trembling slowly passed and in a shy way she returned his affection as they stood silent, hidden away together in a world not their own. Together they were whole. Together they had the power to withstand anything the Wheel held in store for them. Side by side they would make it off this backwards world to go home in victory. Proudly at her side they would bear the gifts, wisdom, and skills of these Ancients to their own kind.

"Nev will you be my Warder when I'm raised?" she tentatively asked, hope and dread were coloring her choking voice and warred in her luminous dark eyes. Somewhere a courting bird was twittering its love of a paramour outside of their view.

Slowly he knelt, "Only on the condition you will consent to do me the greatest honor of becoming my wife. Padma my life is not right without you in it. I will guard and love you with my every breath."

Squealing, she plowed into him with a hungry kiss, "Yes Nev! Yes I will! Just don't you dare be a prat and get out and die stupidly. Oh Nev I love you!"

Happily they celebrated by snogging each other into insensibility before making their way back to camp. This was often interrupted by stops to reaffirm their shared joy. A dark cloud that had dogged Neville as long as he had the ability to have memories broke open into shriveling vapors in his Padma's arms. Allowing rays of warm love to give him renewed strength and purpose. An iron willed conviction to make the world kneel at her heavenly feet put steel in his normally stooped spine.

Luna smiled radiantly at them, "It's nice to find what you didn't know was missing. Care for some fish? He was a very cooperative fellow, though the griddle cakes decided to burn themselves when I heard Harry calling for me. He's feeling better, if just. Oh and he wants to speak with you Neville."

"He's awake? Bloody brilliant, we can get going then." Neville cheered as he darted off to check on his best mate. Eager to be well shot of the responsibilities a leader has, and to see his brother up and about. Or at least up considering his busted leg and arm.

Pushing the tent's flap back, Neville was met by the sight of Harry glaring daggers at Hermione, Daphne, Parvati, and Ginny. For their part the girls were cooly leveling the boy where he lay by sight alone. His mate's various splints had been re-cinched with fresh cords.

"I'm not bloody well laying like a slug about. We need you lot safely studying in Tar Valon and learning to be Aes Sedai. Lazily stuffed up in this ruddy tent won't cut it." Harry grumbled and tried to move but couldn't for some unseen force, "Oh come on, let me go. We've got be going."

"No we don't. You have to heal properly and this time gives us time to study free of the Aes Sedai." Ginny archly hissed in finality. The other three girls sniffed and nodded in agreement with their red haired rival compatriot. Neville half wished his mate hadn't just noticed him standing in the opening.

"Finally. Will you please tell these four I don't need to be holed up here and coddled like a looby. We can be going as soon as breakfast is finished." Harry begged him.

"Uh, sorry mate... Padma will kill me in my sleep if I did." he blurted out, "I just asked her to marry me, and I'd hate to make her regret saying yes first thing off."

That had the girls all gasp , then squeal in joy while swarming him under in hugs and congratulations. Ginny cheered, "I knew it! I knew you two would be perfect together."

"You did Gin! I didn't see it at first, but you were right." Daphne laughed happily, "Nev, we know you two are going to be so brilliant together it will be blinding."

Those were odd comments, but Neville put them down as girls being weird like girls tend to be. Hugging them all tightly he saw Harry grinning widely. It was great to be cheered on for a change. Back home he'd simply been a walking talking joke ready to be humiliated in some unnecessarily cruel way. Like being the only one hung up by their robes in the Lockhart pixy fiasco. Since coming here, he had found himself becoming a beloved friend and fiancé to the most amazing witch a man could ever love.

"Blood and ashes, I nearly missed it. Nev, I'm happy for you." Harry wheezed while trying to sit up with the girls losing their focus in the moment.

"No Harry. You are to stay in bed. I've brought you breakfast." Luna surprised Neville's best mate. By the look on Harry's face she had caught him as effectively with Saidar as that fish she had been cooking, or just about everything else she set her mind to working with. "I'll be feeding you and it would be much easier with you in bed."

She bore a determined if dreamy smile as she manipulated a surly looking Harry who finally gave in and relaxed into her control of him, "Luna my left arm isn't broken so I can feed myself. If you don't mind."

"I don't mind and am supremely confidant this way will be far superior in fun and other sports I think. Yes I truly believe this is the best approach." she stated in finality while sitting beside her wizard, brimming with self satisfaction.

The other four joined her with approving smiles. Sighing Harry tured to Neville and groaned, "While I'm being coddled into flabby jelly against my will, you'll have to be in charge. Except we should find someplace where we can be a bit more secure and hidden if we can manage to find such. It would be best if it were far off from any roads. I don't fancy sitting where some slack jawed Whitecloak catches sight of us again."

"This is just such a place mate. I was laid up too for a bit." Neville chuckled in sheepish confession, "The girls' idea, not mine."

"Well we're not simpletons." sniffed Daphne dangerously.

Harry and him twitched mutual grins at what Therell taught them of what their Aes Sedai thought and acted like. They could be brilliant and daft in the same breath, but never let them think you see or think that.

The rest of the morning was spent where everyone sat and chatted in the tent with Harry. All openly hoping it was a good turn from the Wheel for a change. They also let themselves mourn their first two teachers. They were a family of sorts, and families gain strength from each other in times of strife.

Neville silently prayed the Wheel didn't play them false and take away this bit of light by some unseen black hole. Holding Padma's hand he just knew things were better with her than out on his own still. At her side he felt a master of his own fate.


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

AN: Sorry for the delay and my rant earlier. Real life and those in it are not always friendly to a writer as tightly wound as I. By the by the Tower time is only for a few chappies to those a bit worried.

Chapter Seventeen: Big River

Tracing the jaw line of her slumbering beau, Parvati's heart was capering about in gleeful abandon at his survival. When it appeared she may well lose him, she was coming just shy of losing her sanity along with. Preposterous as it sounded to even herself, her lovely Harry was becoming her very life. Convincing him that he needed her just as badly would be the hardest bit to nail down in her quest to have the life she'd envisioned at first glimpse of him in real life. Experiencing it in part here on this Third Age mirror world to her own, solidified her private mission to primacy in her life. Padma was the perfect brilliant career oriented witch, and thus their upwardly mobile forward thinking parents natural favorite. They merely tolerated and petted Parvati like a pretty poodle the whole family eagerly sought to be shot of by selling to the highest bidder for a contract so that her twin could reach ever loftier heights. In Pads the lot saw a way for the family to make a name for itself in the works centric society of the English.

These thoughts always clouded her mind when she focused on her hopes and love of Harry and the family they would have together.

Boldly her and her supposed hand maid Luna had snuck into their love's tent this night as her twin and Neville were going over what they all should do in the short term with Hermione, Daphne, and Angelina. Ginny was seeing to Emmatilde as Tracey was snoozing after the extra bad day the Ghealdaner had earlier. It was a good thing what her Harry had done in butchering those men, but it would not heal what they stole from the poor dear.

Letting her hand travel daringly lower over his chest as it raised and lowered in sleep, she met Luna's gaze on his other side. His broken arm was being tenderly caressed by the airy blond with a reverence that apparently none that supposedly loved him had given to his injuries before. A crime that none of the five rival witches for his heart would let themselves fall into. A silent unified front had been agreed upon in that concern, if nothing else was settled. These other four girls were becoming as much a part of Parvati's life as their mutually sought after wizard. In a way they were growing to be sisters of a sort that depended on the rest. Of all the four others, Luna was the closest to Parvati in the silences of her heart. If only the dear would realize that Harry belonged to Parvati, then things would feel more English as the trio were raised to be. In clear contrast to what this was feeling like to the Hindi witch whose parents left India to keep most of their homelands eccentricities out of the lives of their daughters. Arranged marriages were one thing to them, but they were staunchly against purdahs, hetaeria, seraglios, or harems in any form.

Though Parvati knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that her heart would wither and die without her Harry in it as husband. Then again she strove to always be what her family considered a good little witch. She vividly remembered when her family cast out one of her cousins for going contrary to the norm for the whole clan, not just wishing to be free of polygamy or be an openly brilliant witch as her parents wished. It was forbidden to even think of that cousin's mere name or her crimes to the family. A fate Parvati feared was to be her own fate one day no matter what she did to prevent such. She was just too given over to recklessness and independence for the main percentage of her family.

Slowly her rival's hand entwined with her own momentarily stopping there separate explorations of the wizard laying between them physically and emotionally. A surge of uncertainty and aggravation at this turn of events twisted Par's heart. They had so little time with Harry since coming to this world, every second was sacred. More when it was a private little slice like this one. Plus there were the long suppressed thoughts and fears that she would yield to what her mind had told her was occurring in their lives. That they were never going to settle this and find the peace they all longed for, or that they would do something that would make them outcasts to their loved ones. If only the gentle girl could see this.

Little Luna's eyes stayed locked with hers in a quiet conversation that held no words. They were trapped and both were feeling it in the silences of their very souls. None wished to shatter the sisterhood they held with each other, nor did they wish to give up the anchoring love they held for their slumbering beau. Worse yet they may be unwilling to let him break them up by deciding.

Sharing this realization but unwilling to put it into words, they remained staring into each others eyes. Pain and loneliness lay outside of their odd love triangle, or was it a hexagon de amour? It didn't matter, they both feared to voice it and thus name the devil. Painful thoughts that colored her emotions as her friend brought their interlocked hands to rest over Harry's heart. Its beat a quiet drum beat for the march of fate they followed in lock step with. Knowledge that cut Parvati's heart as she knew one day because of this, she would be persona non grata to her beloved family. Painful as that was she nonetheless was rocked by the tiny blond's words.

"You're nearly as beautiful and precious to me as Harry is." The girl whispered with a hint of trepidation, "It's rather vexing if true." Tears were clouding the edges of her friend's eyes as they fell into silence once more.

Their lover's hissing softly in parseltongue the sole sound in the tent and yet her heart was hammering in anxiety as Luna squeezed her hand. This was not the horror that had scared them all from his sickness but his normal tender voice. It seemed to inspire Luna to take their hands in a joint exploration of his bare muscular chest.

"I know you, the other three, and me can never long part from him but I do not see how we can. Nor can I speak of how I know. Daddy would be disappointed in his curse work. He is rather proud of such things. He would not understand how it hurts me to not speak of what I feel for you as well as Harry. Life has color with you and our friends, I've never felt so much vibrancy for it." Luna seemed to be confessing to secrets that had shredded the blond's own soul, just as Parvati faced her own demons of late. "Parvati I'm terrified. I'm terrified none of you will wish me around as I am a bit odd in too many ways to count. Daddy has always warned me of this. He feared letting me go to Hogwarts because of me being naturally me."

What was this all about? Parvati was unsure if she should speak yet.

Sighing with a glance for their wizard's semi peacefully slumbering face, Luna added, "I love my Daddy but he must be quite put out with me. I'm rather odd for a Ravenclaw witch. My friend Penny never let me think such, but she is as unusual as I in her own ways. When Ginny had to give me up as a friend, it hurt but I understood. She belongs to an upstanding family that sees anything out of the normal ways as a sin. I'm odd, not blind."

"What do you mean by unusual?" Parvati felt compelled to ask, her treasured little friend here was well outside the standard bounds of normalcy.

"Daddy put a curse on me to protect me from myself from ever speaking of things directly for my infinite quirks of character. He placed several so that the Ministry would not learn of them and take me away from him. They do that sort of thing to girls such as I, for study and to keep my abnormalities from infecting others by association. If I were to be allowed to breed in there views, I would only pollute the proper bloodlines of the purer lines. Penny thought that pure rubbish but then she is a feminist muggleborn, so her own self is listed as a corruption to the Ministry Standards." Luna was actually crying now, "However Daddy's curses broke somewhere during Slytherin's Truth to my relief and worry. The wrackspurts have grown into a veritable plague for it. Please don't hate me but I'm terrified of being alone. I've always been but it hurts dreadfully."

Frowning, Parvati squeezed the dear's hand while asking, "What could make me hate you? Well outside of winning Harry and stealing away with him."

Eyes overflowing with tears, Luna whimpered, "I knew my mother was going to die and I failed to stop it. I'm a bad girl without the vision of a proper Ravenclaw. I live in a world outside of what others see or feel. I feel ways that are outside of the normal. There are laws against my type of girl and allow the Ministry to take me to be used and studied in the Department of Mysteries. A girl like me and how I feel on whom to love are also not welcomed in our kind."

Things clicked into some key places. Trelawney herself had made mention of evil statutes allowing the Ministry to seize particularly gifted witches and wizards. Once taken they were never seen again save for closed casket funerals. Then there were a whole other class of laws that Parvati was keenly aware of from the days of her cousin's banishment. Laws that none in the wizarding world openly spoke of in polite society. A reason she suspected there was no class on wizarding law in school.

"Oh..." she felt her throat seize up out of the fears she hid from the world at large, "If its all what I think, you're safe with me. I might be thought a gossip but this is not for open discussion. Luna, our secrets are ours alone. Our sorts have to stick together. Not even Pads knows about some things in my own life. Just Lav knows them for similar reasons. People think we're simple but we just live how we feel happiest. Its why we can live in the same dorm with Hermione, we're all odd balls that don't fit in anywhere. Though I think she hides her own... feelings as you put it. Not even Hufflepuff could be a home for us three. Luna, you're my best friend aside from Lav, never doubt that. Its us against the world if you want, or maybe its us to change the world to be better."

"Ginny was obliviated by her mum because she was thought not normal either." Luna replied in a quiet fearful voice, "Penny told me before she settled on Percival as a wizard as he seemed what Harry is to me. I love him more than life. He's the sole wizard I feel that for."

"Why was Ginny obliviated?" Par had to ask in horror.

"Her aunt feared that Ginny found both of Ronald's two friends equally intriguing." Luna answered in a trembling terror that Par could empathize with. "She has no other friends aside from us. She doesn't fit in right and her aunt said that was a sign of witchly abomination."

That made a lot of questions vanish in Parvati's eyes. "We'll keep this all between us. For the now at least as it may hurt some feelings. Yours, their's, and maybe Harry's if he hears of it."

"Do you hate me for telling you all this?" her friend questioned softly, "How I feel about you and our friends first and foremost."

"Not in the slightest." she replied with a tender smile, determined to see that her little circle of rivals turned sisters cared for. Her delicate odd friend had opened her eyes to the fact that though Pads was her twin, these four rivals for Harry were just as dear to her heart.

Letting go of there joined hands, the blond waif traced the line of Harry's splinted arm, soft as a summer breeze the tiny witch sighed, "If we return home, I'd love it if you took us to your ancestral homeland. Just us five witches and Harry as we're almost as good as a family. Seeing a naga in person would be exhilarating."

"That depends on the type. Not all are safe to be around I've heard. I can't attest to that as I've never seen one myself either. I'm an English witch who happens to be of Hindi ancestry, just so you know." Parvati corrected in a light tone.

Luna giggled at that. They took to making travel plans for the fun of it. Luna wasn't Lav, but the girl had a way of dampening Parvati's native self doubts just as well.

The tent flaps opened, cutting off conversation as Hermione and Daphne entered locked in a debate of some sort. The pair were as care worn as she felt and returned her thoughts to the present problem. How could they all be happy?

Questions she had no answers for as Hermione simply crawled in behind her and sighed in contentment as her hand lay next to Parvati's on Harry's chest. It was kind of nice to be so close. She hated imagining life without the others, but she ached to have her Harry alone like a normal English witch. He was hers and that was final.

If only she didn't feel that the other four witches were hers as well.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Stalking through the wooded lord's preserve they were hiding in till Harry healed well enough to travel again, Neville was hunting. He'd been out away from camp mostly though to get his head around the dreadful idea that a Dragon Reborn's storming across his native home and Age was almost a certain fact waiting to occur. It was a known fact by what he'd learned of Dragons on this world was that they strode across the globe like some mythical titans of anarchy and pain. They were the harbingers of doom, and in a way he thought they should rightfully be called The Ravens instead of noble dragons. Thinking that had him shun the thoughts as he couldn't help but think of one person when he thought of those stygian feathered creatures.

Such a thought was horrific.

Returning to his contemplation of his home world's coming Dragon he nearly stumbled on a low lying deadfall branch in his path. He prayed he was lucky enough to avoid spooking the game he followed as well as be given the chance to return home. If he was there he could make a stand, even if he wasn't able to face the tosspot of destiny. He knew without a doubt his best mate Harry would never back down from such a fight even if he had no chance of surviving it. Together they may have a chance though. And after putting paid to the Dragon it would be off to deal once and for all with the Dark Wanker Ladyboy Moldibits.

A grin tugged at his lips from the idea of his no longer fearing a pathetic tosser like Voldemort when there were wizards like Harry whom could kill a couple hundred well armed men in under a couple minutes top. Try that on Draco!

Paused as he were to keep his intended trophy of a fat boar nosing up some truffles oblivious to him, Neville heard the snap of a twig by a booted foot not his own. Not only did it alert him that he had company but frightened the aforementioned bacon on the hoof to its peril. Watching it dash away, he silently cursed the Wheel.

If his guests were the local lord's men he'd have to pull some fast footwork to escape the law. Poaching a ruddy bit of meat was a death sentence in some parts of this insane backward world. However if these were any of those blighted Whitecloak zealots again, he'd not let any of them report back to their superior officers. His hope was for a careless deer to replace the lost Christmas ham on the run. Then again after all that he's seen of the Children of the Light, a few less above ground was doing a service to mankind. No one touches his Pads and lives.

Moving with exceptional care, he wove his way around to catch sight of whom he was dealing with. They needed food, but could ill afford discovery either. Bandits or local games keepers could be troublesome if they knew of his friends. However simply killing such would serve little to no good. He loathed killing just for the sake of killing, his hate of the Children not withstanding this.

More jangling and jingling noises, alongside more twigs snapping helped him locate his quarry. Twelve men and two noble looking ladies were in a discussion with a man whose cloak resisted the pull of the northern angled breeze that lifted and tugged at the hair and inordinately long mustaches of his male audience. Even the heavier fur trimmed capes of the women moved in the gusts swirling around this odd secretive chin wag in the woods. Seeing this unnatural sight had the small hairs on the back of his neck standing on end. Therell made mention of fellows like this dark figure. They were the freakish agents of the Dark One, and were exceptionally deadly to Warders and Aes Sedai both. Translation for this was that they were death walking for a brash bravo such as himself.

"Bring them. They are to be brought into the Great Lord's own presence. It is by his command this be done at all cost." the inhuman tosser's shrill voice cut through Neville's reserved nature, "Failure on your part will result only eternal suffering."

"All of them? I heard they were protected by an Aes Sedai and Warder at minimum." the leader of the real men questioned diffidently.

"Yes all of them, for all will serve in one way or another for the Great Lord." coldly replied this creature of true evil, cowing the lot of normal humans whom could only be Darkfriends. "All of them, no matter who they are can be brought to heel in Shayoul Ghul."

Trembling, one of the haughty looking noble women asked, "Dreadlords? Have the Great Days came at last?"

The thing sneered as it backhanded the bold dark soul, "It is not for you to question. You are to obey or to suffer your Master's displeasure."

It was without question that this thing ruled this lot of evil sods.

"What do they look like?" the other woman requested submissively.

"One is a quiet giant of a boy. Another is a short runt with dark hair. Then there is a coppery locked-." the vile thing stopped short and stared straight at Neville's hiding spot. "Well, well. We have a guest that stinks of Saidin."

The men all went for their belted on weapons and stared around in fearful worry. Their leader gave some hand signals to go out and search, but the Shadow's dark servant had vanished. A bad sign as Therell drilled into them. These sorts were more a part of the in-between of light and darkness and used it to travel wherever they wished if there were shadows for it.

Taking this as his que to exit forth with, Neville took flight praying he could find a way to lose his pursuit. Roundly cursing himself in the flight for being so arrogant and careless.

Loping over the underbrush and deadfall of the woods with nary a sound or trace as Therell had ruthlessly drilled into him, he was making good time. If only he was as wiry or as light of foot as his mates back at camp. They had all joked that he was doomed as a big blighter to have the silent stealthy grace of a drunk hippo.

A sizzling hiss in the air was all the warning he had of an attack. Rolling backwards with a twirl to draw his short gladius style sword to parry a black smoking blade aimed at taking his head. Then another, this time inches from hamstringing him. Dancing away from this in a pirouetting hop he came within inches of a flickering slash that would've opened him at the middle. Thankfully he now saw his foe was the Shadowspawn illuminated by the sunlight cutting through the bowery above them. He remembered Therell's name for these as well as a lone Eyeless head floating in a specimen jar of Slytherin's Collection.

In this odd train of thought during a life or death struggle, he saw how the moniker Halfman fit rather well. As did naming the things the Eyeless. These were only half formed men as if the Dark One grew bored or distracted in their creation. Terror in meeting the rotter's eyeless gaze could end him so he instead focused on outwitting a foe that could travel through the shadows like a twisted form of Apperation.

"A sneaky tasty treat." the filthy abomination of the Dark giggled with a salivating lick of its colorless lips.

"I'm no easy meat tosser." he taunted in a renewed exchange of flashing flickers of their blades kissing in spark laden passes, "Why are your foul kind after us?"

It grew curious as it demanded, "And who is this we you speak of meat?"

Cursing his stupidity, he moved into the dodgy form, Snow in the Cedars where he was blocked in his foe's lazily performed Thrashers of Rye and Barley. It may have stopped that but he was already moving through the follow up Maiden's Silks on the Water that would normally have opened his opponents middle. The Halfman simply was forced to back off in a hopping slide to the left. Its response was a flurry of forms that were dizzying and may have diced Neville into a neat pile of bloody bits if not for Therell's instructions.

This was a dance of death as he parried those in his own flurry of his short heavy blade. Ringing reports scared the very birds from the trees as they fought in a ballet that only one of them would walk away from . His mind was full of only his Padma safe back at camp, unaware that these evil sodding monsters were out to capture her. He would live for her. He was a weapon and not a simple blubbery boy wizard. This was no time to yield or quit. He must live or she and his friends would be caught unaware.

The monstrosity launched a new sally of blows that Therell had taught them were potent as they were trying to parry away. Rose Thorns in the Basket, Lovers on the Lawn, Silverfish a'Flashing, Doves Kissing, and A Whisper on the Breeze were lightening quick and easily chained together in a multi level barrage that were solely after nicking and nibbling at the defender. However a mere nick of that bleak blade and Neville would never see his Pads again. He had no option but to deflect the lot.

Incredibly he managed it! To both his and the Eyeless' amazement that thought him surely a dead man. Seeing the vile creature's moment of inattention, he returned in kind his own flurry of swipes. He wasn't Harry or Blaise but he was strong enough to turn Maids a Dancing, which was a twirling slash into a lethal swipe that took the thing in the guts. It wasn't slowed horrifically enough as it replied with a crude slash for his neck. Parrying that had him lose hold of his own blade by the incredible strength of his inhuman foe.

"You will yield to the Great Lord and I will gladly be of those to see it done meat." it spat out black oily blood that withered the grass below them.

Back against the wall as it were, Neville thought of seeing his love just one time more. She was his North Star and his life was only for her. "I think not Halfman." Envisioning what Harry had unleashed on those Whitecloaks, he imagined the same for this monster.

It swooped in with a hand outstretched to grab him by his neck. It did not make it as a sharp hot wind ripped through their wooded battlefield to immolate the unholy parody of mankind. When the wind abated their wasn't even ash remaining to mark its passing. Though how tired and personally horrified Neville felt, he had ample proof it had not been a passing fancy.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Best laid plans and good intentions shatter and fall at the onset of brutal reality. Sometimes even the simplest trips from point A to point B in a place that might as well be called a second home can take on a new life from a twist in fate. A simple kink in the Pattern and a whole new reality can be unleashed on a hapless girl's life. Parvati was distinctly feeling she was said girl as she sat in the group's wagon cart beside her mulish if lovable wizard. Her and the other rivals for his heart sans the interloper Seandra had been having a series of long heart to hearts with Harry and each other since his strange sickness. One the boys seemed prone too as Neville had twice been felled by it in the last few days if not in such dire proportions. Until only yesterday he rode laid up in here side by side with her Harry for the latest.

His demand that they ride for Tar Valon as hard as they could in spite of him or Harry was terrifying by his lack of explanation except to the other boys. As one the lot of wizard Warders had them packed up and rolling within an hour of his return from hunting not too long ago. He may not have said why but his eyes told of some horror that lurked out in the woods.

Thus they forsook the slow mostly useless frilly show carriage in favor of traveling hard day in and day out for the home of the Aes Sedai. A turn of events that gave the five girls in love with Harry a chance to pull out from him what he'd screamed of in his delusional state. What he'd let slip had not sat well with any of them. Yet he would not give in till they too spoke to him of what they held secreted away from him in equal measure. Needless to say they had kept these discussions solely in English so that the two Ghealdaner girls would not understand a word.

When they had began to open up it was like a flood that could not be stopped easily. It was liberating to have these that cared for them so much enter into their hearts in full. Not all of it were the stuff of nightmares, but were still held hidden out of fear they'd be seen as rejects in the eyes of those they cherished. This tightening circle of friends that meant life to them in this alien alternate Earth to theirs. Sitting and listening to how Daphne had gotten lost on the London Tubes while schlepping "muggle" style to France in a bid to show she could at the ripe old age of twelve counted as hilarious. Right alongside the girl confessing to being arrested as a runaway by the muggle authorities when she and Tracey tried to use a Pub's floo when they found out they couldn't board a ferry for the continent as unaccompanied minors. Luna's tale of when she once forgot to anchor herself after eating dirigible plums and winding up in the Weasley's trees had them in stitches.

Some of what was said were things that they had no power over and were painful in normal ways. A perfect example of this was Hermione's admission that her parents came with in a simple signature or two on paper of divorcing out of the aftermath of her being "outed" as a witch by the arrival of McGonagall at their door. Same could be said of Ginny's reluctantly spoke of true reason they went to Egypt as there was no Ministry lotto won. Following her possession by Tom Riddle's diary had her parents fighting day and night as to what to do with her. There were even the unwelcome advocation of her being placed inhumanely in a witchly Magdeline House was bantied about by her unholy wretch of a great aunt. Scarily they only stopped short of following that by the intervention of Dumbledore by the threat of revoking the Weasley family's hardship tuitions to Hogwarts. Instead an anonymous donor put up the money to send them to Egypt's Coptic College of Exorcism. Ginny learned of this by pretending to be asleep in her father's lap. Shyly Parvati began to explain her cousin and how she was erased from the Patil clan. Life though had decided to drop a new bomb into their lives then though.

And during such an enchanting lazy day as well as the River Erinin rolled by sedately, flowing on to the Sea of Storms unconcerned and uncaring that humans lived or died on the winding road nearby. But then was any time a good time for such?

Out of the hills overlooking the great river came boiling out a ragged rough looking lot of brigands whipping their horses hard to encircle and surprise the travel weary teens. Out of fear they took too long to get to the sanctuary of Tar Valon they had curtailed the normal outriding of the boys in favor of speed. Plus Neville clearly did not like the idea that any of them be out alone in the wilds at all. Thus they had not seen these sods laying in wait for them.

At the lead of these desperate looking villains was a greasy bear of a man that held a wicked looking hooked sword in his lone whole arm and held his reins wrapped around a rusty hook. At his side was a weedy weasel of a rotter that wore an actual gauzy veil across his lips. Neither fellow were the sort a witch would care to find in a dark alley.

"Tha's fer enough thar me lads an' lasses." the big blighter rumbled in a semi drunken slur.

"We don't wish this to be violent but we won't lose a tear if it did get exciting." the other smirked with a hand on his slender sword's hilt.

Neville astride his horse this day snorted, "Let me guess, you were told to bring us all in."

"Quiet you!" a third man barked. His harsh voice spooked Emmatilde whom tried to make a break for it. In her flight she collided with a glaring Seandra, unhorsing them both.

Fred and George swiftly interdicted the band of brigands from taking advantage here. Helping the two Ghealdaners into the wagon, Parvati embraced Saidar. So did every other Hogwarts witch there. They remembered all to well what the Children were trying with poor Emm. Capture would not be pleasant so they must fight even if they had been taught to never use magic on muggles. Then again these blighters were not truly men if they wished such evils from the witches.

A man in the back of the pack took aim with a bow, only he didn't get a chance to let fly as Daphne chose this time to unleash a whole slew of hissing snapping serpents amongst their would be captors' horses. Not many four legged animals enjoy even one serpent around their feet, let alone twenty or more. In the chaos of the wheeling and bucking horses Tracey ripped the would be archer out of his saddle by a thick weave of Air that deposited him below to trampling hooves of the brigands' mounts. Parvati had no time to watch his fate since another bloke tried to leap into the wagon, long knife raised.

A resounding crunch startled her from hitting him with her own weave. Seandra was screeching like an enraged shecat, in both her hands was Harry's terrible maul now dripping with the blood of the invader whom flew five to six feet away. Anarchy was inevitable then.

Another bloke with a horse bow, and had successfully escaped the turmoil of Daphne's storm of snakes, took aim at the red headed bar maid. Gritting her teeth Parvati lashed out with her own quickly woven weave of Air and hurled the man backwards. He struck head first into the solid presence of a nearby boulder with a dull unwholesome crunching sound. Oddly none of this was deterring these men even though most people feared even the merest hint of the One Power's use. A fact that worried her as her mind shied away from the horrific truth that she had just killed a man.

More arrows came sailing in to thunk heavily into the wooden sides of the wagon cart. One grazed her lover who was trying to comfort the screaming Emmatilde. His splint took most of the force of it but there was a river of blood starting to flow from below the surface. Not willing to let him die, especially when he couldn't give as good as he got she tossed herself over him as a human shield, with her was some heavy blanketing sensation that encompassed her when Harry met her eyes. Just in time for a second volley to pinion the wagon and those within. One sliced a furrow through her shoulder's skin and dress. His scar received a grazing by a wickedly barbed broad head that pinned her and him in place as it tangled with their hair in passing to slam into the cart bed.

A scream from one of the other witches had Harry grow a bit wild as he bellowed, "Let me up! You need my blade."

"Shut up Harry we're doing fine. You'll only get hurt worse." Parvati snarled through the pain, though she loved the man she felt he could be a daft bugger now and then.

"She's right mate." Fred yelled out.

"With you all wonky, you might hurt one of us." George growled out while braining a man trying to drag himself up into the drivers seat with Alicia.

Ginny was hissing in rage from her horse while whipping an evil looking weave of fire like a real bullwhip in her hand. "Why are they not running by now?"

"This is not the time to be noble Potter!" Angelina spat as she dropped a few men by giving their horses something similar to the jelly legs curse.

Parvati thought that a very good question as these rotters were having a bad go of it, even if they held the numerical superiority in the beginning. Forty or so of the blighters were milling about against the teens mere sixteen. Not counting that the One Power was evening things up nicely. Whatever these birks reasons were they were paying for it.

Standing at the head of the wagon with her untamable hair flying freely in the wind was Hermione bearing a rictus like snarl as she ripped men from their saddles one by one with Air and Fire to send them sailing out over the river's lazy surface. Then there was Ginny who was mixing overpowered bat boogy hexes for some and lashings by that fire whip. One of the rotter's face was literally ripped open by her friend's hex in his screaming agony he ran straight out into the river as bloody bat shaped snot assaulted him.

A sight that finally broke the lot as they turned and fled in masse away from the teens. Wheeling and riding as if there were demons nipping at their horses' haunches. All but one as he was yanked up and off by his breech clothes and hauled through the air back to them. Luna hopped off of her horse with a highly agitated face.

"No your staying mister." the blond firmly demanded, "You have been rather rude."

Looking about wildly the man pulled out a knife and rammed it into his own throat.

"Bloody..." Blaise gasped as he rode back with a hand on his side. "Who bloody well does that? What did they think we would to them?"

Jumping off her horse Tracey accused tearfully, "You're hurt, you great prat! Who do you think you are, a pride blind Kitten?"

"It's less than it looks." Blaise shrugged defensively.

Neville joined them leaping from his horse like great cat, rage burning in her future brother in-law's eyes, "They almost cost me my love. Strip them for information and anything of use. Then we burn their Light forsaken bodies. No one touches Padma! She is off limits you lightless sons of hags and harpies!" Neville's roar was likely heard all the way back in Caemlyn as he hoisted up the suicidal man, "You lot will never have her! NEVER!"

"Pads... is she...?" Parvati tore out her tangled hair to stand and ask in horror.

"I'm fine. Though the fellows who tried to snatch me faired no better than those Children of the Light." her stately calmer twin commented before wobbling over to Neville's rage trembling side. "They're looking for someone. I heard one say I wasn't one but that the Great Lord may wish for more Dreadlords. That or the Black Sisters may have a use for a slip like me."

A thump announced Seandra's falling into a seated position on top of Harry's good leg. "It can't be!, No- NO it just can't!"

The girl was raving in abject horror as she jerked about in denial of what was heard. Poor Harry cried out in pain from the jolting movements.

"What? I killed a Fade who was asked if the Dark One sought more Dreadlords. Tell me what do you know Seandra. Tell me now!" Neville hotly roared.

This was news to the witches but apparently not the wizards as they didn't even flinch.

"Easy mate..." Harry gritted out, "What can't it be, Seandra?"

"They always have claimed they don't exist. My da always told me to not ask or say such dirty things." Seandra looked ready to hurl right then and there.

Emmatilde didn't hesitate as she dove for the side and cried hughie onto the blood stained road below. Horror in the pair's eyes said a lot just then. Both Ghealdaner girls were wild eyed and getting worse. Ginny reached out and held Emm's hair so as to save it while the farm girl spewed a second time. A third came when she saw the man hanging from Neville's fists.

Hermione took a slow shuddering breath, "They're suggesting there are Darkfriend Aes Sedai. Just like the Death Eaters back home. But who were they looking for?"

Neville and the boys shared a silent dark look that screamed that they had a very good idea of who. They were not going to share either if she didn't miss her guess.

"Like I said, we don't talk about things like that." Seandra whimpered.

It was a surreal moment for Parvati. This world just continued to darken around them. She felt the cold clammy claws of fear tearing at her middle till she felt Harry touch her face to wipe away a tear. She hadn't realized she'd fell on her bum beside him even.

"This secret stays with us. When we get to Tar Valon we must never make mention of it to anyone. We can't trust anyone besides us here. We must protect each other." Harry growled out then softened as he begged, "And Seandra, would you be a dear and pop up. You're killing me here." That took a second or two to sink in then the too pretty red head scrambled up with squeaked apologies for hurting him.

"More than that. We can't let anyone know we don't trust them." Parvati heard Daphne command, "We'll be playing Daes Dae'mar from here on out. Get used to being paranoid, it becomes your friend."

Shaking off her stupor Parvati took a long deep breath before saying her peace, "We can't stay here long. More people are liable to come along. We can't be found here." the unholy sound of that one man's dying by her hand was making her feel like joining Emmatilde at the side of the cart. "Oh Merlin I'm a- a - a killer."

Harry took her hand in his good one, "It'll be alright Par. It's bad now but you'll feel better. That goes for all of you. It gets- It gets less painful."

Neville took a shuddering breath as he finally let go of the suicidal man, "Blaise get in the cart. Tracey help him in. Those that can stand it, help me with these wankers. Whatever we can use and get quickly, we need. We're going to be needing to move and staying in any place even long enough to shop will be risky. Things are going to be tight but we have to not give any others a shot at us."

Seandra was shaking violently now, her eyes locked on her bloody mace wielding hands. "I'm a good woman... An honest Light dwelling woman... not- not a killer."

Hugging the girl in mutual comfort, Parvati was only dimly aware of the others for a hazy amount of time. She felt so weak and wicked it was insane. How could she claim she was a good Gryffindor while crying over a murderer?

"I meant what I said. I killed my first man when I was eleven. In first year Parvati. Professor Quirell didn't just retire for his nerves sake as I heard bandied about by the faculty. He was possessed by Voldemort. It was awful, but I've had to learn sometimes, some days you have to kill to save those you love and cherish." He spoke in a hollow sad tone, "I hate that you had to face it at all, but I'm glad you chose to fight and live rather than die in those sods places. It takes courage to do what must be done."

"I'm a coward. I just screamed and cried." Emmatilde wept mournfully.

"It's alright. You're hurt in ways most of us could never fathom. It takes a different courage and time to heal. I have faith in you Emm." he tenderly assured the broken girl.

It incredibly took little time to loot the would be kidnappers. Most only had the clothes on their backs. They did find a written description of a tall fair featured man and a short wiry dark haired man traveling with Aes Sedai and postulants to the White Tower. Loosely that fit their own description.. Neville was tall and fair, and Harry was a bit wiry with silky black hair. Plus they had been traveling with Aes Sedai once.

Whoever these now burning fellows were in truth, they had deadly intentions on any that vaguely fit the parameters. She consoled her murder of one with the fact that these were no longer men but Lightless monsters of the Shadow. Facing the ugly truth that another attack was highly likely, they completely dropped the whole "lords on a lark" bit. And prayed that people took them as just more Hunters of the Horn that infested the land. The call for those seemed troubling at first, but for now they could use it to hurry their trip along. Which suited Parvati fine.

Riding now in the cart with Harry full time so that Emmatilde could ride a horse was liberating. Though she did find herself swapping with the other four rivals to keep their legs from stiffening up. Tracey traded with them as well in order to see to Blaise who grumblingly joined Harry in the cart with his cut open middle. Another bonus to this was that they also kept more horses fresh, especially with the extra eight they recovered from the Darkfriends. More healthy mounts meant less slow downs, and that was something this trip had been plagued by since leaving the Great Hall in Hogwarts. By the calendar of this world they had already been away from the Yule Ball for over a year and a quarter give or take.

They had been on the road so long that even Seandra and Emmatilde could embrace Saidar on their own every once in a while. Though Parvati could not tell how strong a woman was, Angelina and Alicia could to a degree. From what they said the two native girls were rather weak in comparison to themselves. Strangely they could not tell the strengths of the other Hogwarts band. Angelina, the first to somewhat master the skill indicated that the other girls felt like they were in a bubble or thick glass bottle. She also told them that both Kaliandra and Naleva were fairly weak as well, maybe as weak as Seandra and Emm.

None of this mattered though till they reached Tar Valon. A place of Parvati's hoped for dreams and desires. If she worked hard enough and fast enough she could bond Harry soon. He would be her Warder Husband and they would have a large family, just as they both had desired. When they returned home, she fully planned on being Mrs. Parvati Potter.

What would that Harpy Skeeter make of that? Nothing truthful is what.

A few weeks of hard riding had passed. It was Parvati's turn at being nurse again. Blaise was more or less healed but still was having trouble, so he now drove the cart these days. But everyone had learned how in case of emergency, and to let the Slytherin rest, Neville was spelling him. Where Neville went, Parvati's twin Padma followed close behind, thus she was riding up beside the drivers seat.

Cradling Harry's head in her lap Parvati was growing worried. A few days before her love began to have a fever and with it came terrible dreams. Crying out in parseltongue every once in a while. This was just such a time. Making Parvati wonder if his delirium was from the Taint or a return of his sickness. Whichever it was it couldn't be good.

A gasp from behind her made her look up from dabbing a wet cloth across Harry's forehead. Sweat had matted his black mane and ran rivers over his body. But no potion they knew of or could make would heal him. His last hope lay in Tar Valon. Turning around anxiously Parvati saw what had caused the alarm, or more to the point awe. It was impossible to not be overwhelmed by the sight before her.

Peering just over the cart's seat, she saw bridges like the one at Whitebridge spanning the river as it split around an island city with what could only be called suburbs arrayed around the feet of the bridges on the ends outside of the gleaming white metropolis. In the center of the city, dominating the scene was a massive white tower or palace. Hogwarts with its tiny village of Hogsmeade was a speck in comparison.

"It was built by Ogier. Just like Caemlyn, about 202 AB" Hermione began rambling off facts she'd read of it. A nervous reflex her friend and chief rival had now and then.

Seandra's startling green eyes were huge and glowing, "It's said to be the most beautiful city ever built. I understand why now. Caemlyn was nothing like this."

Blaise and Tracey glanced at each other, with the latter speaking up, "We need to go in separately. Smaller groups can move about easier with less comment from others. All things considered we think its best if we be less noticeable."

"We've been thinking that if we are being hunted by Darkfriends, or still looked enough like them that are, the bloody wankers might have a go at us again even in the White Tower." Blaise reasoned out with a wince of pain.

Harry cried out feverishly, "The Wheel weaves the Pattern and it is us that must live by it Atty! Lest you forget that in your plans..." Parvati whipped her head around to see Harry's amazing green eyes feverishly staring up at her sightlessly from his returning delirium, "No Tom you are the fool. You've always been the fool." He then seemed to change his voice and spoke in Third Age Common, "I can't go with you to the Tower, not now... You know this Egw- GaEiiiarhhhhhhh, Light preserve us! I... Where am I? Why won't my legs move?" he shifted again, this time back to English. "SHUT UP YOU! You are no more, all of you thrice cursed plonkers. Shut up will you."

Gritting her teeth, Parvati snapped peevishly, "Fine! Just lets get Harry to the Sisters. Maybe they can save him. They have to." Hot tears were beginning to run down her cheeks. Nothing at that point mattered more to her than Harry's life.

Glancing back at her, Neville kindly smiled, worry was etched on his face as well. "I agree. Blaise you take Tracey, Daphne, and Seandra on in. Fred and George, you and your fiances take Emm and Ginny. I'll drive the cart in with everyone else."

"I don't think that would work Neville. Me and Hermione will go in together. That way you will simply look like Harry's brother in-law." Luna suggested with a light touch for Parvati and Harry before setting off. Hermione gaped at the leaving little blond before kissing Harry's hand and clicking her stirrups to catch up to their friend, muttering darkly about plans and more.

Seandra pursed her lips then announced, "Me and Emm need to go in separate from the rest of you too. We sound like Ghealdaners, unlike all of you. It will raise unwanted questions we should avoid answering otherwise. Also I think Blaise and Angelina will need to go in separate from anyone else. People will see them and immediately think of them as Sea Folk."

"She's right." Emmatilde squeaked in support. "The less we look unique, the better it will be. Back home everyone thought you lot were from the coasts because of those two."

"I'm so proud." Blaise grinned impishly, "We'll make them into Snakes yet." he then fell into a wheezing laughter while amending the plan, "It will be dicey but the less notice the better. You coming my pretty Lioness?"

Tracey leaned over to kiss him soundly, saying, "Till we meet up later, we act as if we don't know each other."

"Well we'll tell those two up there on the way." Angelina was laughing now too, "Hermione and Luna are scarily brilliant, but a bit too loose lipped for mischief." She spurred her horse and thundered off with Blaise wincing in pursuit. Tracey and Daphne followed at a slower pace, but far faster than the cart.. With in a short span after they had retrieved their packs, so too did the two Ghealdaners peel off from the fracturing group.

Alicia reached out and squeezed George's hand, "Meet you on the other side. I'm not exactly similar enough to look a cousin or what not and I've got a Cornish accent to your Welsh. Don't fret luv, I'm a big girl who can keep herself safe for at least an hour or two. Love you babe." and then she too was thundering off and away.

"I have a bad feeling about all this." Neville grimaced with a frustrated flick of the leads, "We should stay together."

"Par, keep him safe or I will kill you very slowly." Ginny ordered, with a touch to Harry's out stretched hand, "Now brothers mine, lets keep near to Alicia to keep an eye on her. She's a Weasley or as good as."

"Too true sister." George concurred, "She'll get on well with mum. That or kill each other in days."

"That's true. Weasley witches are all idiotically stubborn, and just love to be the bosses." Fred cackled while spurring his horse to escape a furious Ginny in hot pursuit. George laughed and gave them all a salute in his parting.

Padma leaned over to squeeze Neville's shoulder, "Its better this way. Who would suspect all of us as being part of one large group when we show up from all over like this."

"Together we're stronger." he grumped with another snap of the reins, "Lets get Harry in there sometime today."

"That may be my luv, but we can't afford to be seen as too big a party." Parvati's sister firmly stated, "Besides that, with Harry busted up as he is and Blaise in need of attention himself... We'd stand out enough for the more watchful as to how they both ended up in such need. So do please try and relax my love."

Parvati hardly heard a word of that as she re-immersed herself once more into the care of her own wizard, "Hang on Harry. We're nearly there. We'll find you a Healer soon." She lovingly caressed his face.

He appeared to nuzzle her touch muttering wildly, "Who is this bloody woman you ruddy plonker? Shut up about her, you're not here. Not here..."

It was like his previous bout of sickness, but not. He was clammy and raving, like before. However he was sometimes sounding as if he were arguing with someone or someones in his delusions and not just remembering them. Occasionally he was almost a different man in total. What caused this she feared to contemplate. Plus there were his many injuries that kept piling up like that arrow wound to his already broken arm that smelled off. If they could have had him resting under a competent Healer's care like Madam Pomfrey, he may never have got like this.

Weeping and rocking her wizard, she blocked out the world. His care and comfort was all that mattered at the moment. "Please Harry keep fighting. You can make it."

He was steadily looking worse to her untrained eyes. Hollow eyed and sallow skinned where he had been so dashing and alive at the Yule Ball. Back then he had been on the scrawny side, but Therell had turned him into a dangerous whipcord of strength and vitality. Scarily that seemed to have little effect on resisting this. He was still laying in her arms near to taking his boat ride from Chiron if they did not hurry.

"Hang on Parvati we're getting into line now." whispered Neville from the fog surrounding her and Harry, "If there is even an once of compassion in these people, he'll be safe. You wait and see."

Murmurs of the crowd ebbed about the cart. Not of Harry's sickness, but of some other bits of news. That the False Dragon Logain had been brought in behind the Daughter Heir of Andor, whom it was rumored may one day be the Strongest Aes Sedai alive. That the Amyrlin Seat had recently left for the north in the Borderlands with a large complement of Tower Guards, Warders, and Sisters of all seven of the Ajahs. And one bit of news that cut through Parvati's fugue in particular.

It alarmed her enough that she had to get confirmation by quickly asking a nearby woman speaking of it with a sleeping child strapped to her back, "Did you say there were Trollocs in Andor?"

She prayed she'd misheard the woman.

"They were telling me of it in Caemlyn. Something of them raiding a small backwater of a place called the Two Rivers and even sightings near Caemlyn itself." the woman assured her.

Seeing the woman swaying from exhaustion, Parvati asked Neville and Padma, "I think this woman could use a rest on the cart. What say you?"

"Oh no deary, my little Salin is no burden, and I've got me feet under me. Besides your man looks worse than my little'un here." the woman smiled and was carried away from the cart by the press of the crowd.

Neville grumbled in English, "If Elayne is here, I'd lay wagers that Elaida is as well. She's a right nasty hag that one. She'll be for skinning Harry alive, and maybe me too for giggles. We can't let her stop Harry's Healing."

"Different names might help." Padma postulated with an eye for the swirling crowd.

"Like what? I'm pants with remembering things." Neville sourly reminded them.

"How about your father's name?" Parvati asked worriedly. Harry must be Healed at all cost to her or them.

"I guess I could go by Frank? But she knows me by Goodman Longbottom." her future brother in-law growled tiredly, knuckling his chin whiskers to relieve an itch. All of the boys were getting some scraggly looking beards these days.

Padma took hold of his hand and laughed, "How about Oakheart? Frank Oakheart is no where near Neville Longbottom but things that you could remember by this." She held his ring wearing hand up for emphasis.

Scowling off towards the White Tower he grunted, "I can live with that. What of Harry though? He's going to need it more than I do."

Parvati looked down at Harry while examining what he meant to her. He was the light of her life. "Harjit, Padma we'll name him after our uncle Harjit. That way if any of us call him Harry by mistake it could be covered. But if Harry is known more by Goodman Potter he'll need a new sir name too."

That had them all desperately racking their brains. Why could they not have foresaw this possibility earlier? This was maddening.

"Truhart?" Parvati asked after looking over his ring like her sister had with Neville. A stag was a hart and she saw him as her true heart's love.

"We'll take it." Neville grunted while they neared the weary bridge guards. "We don't have time for anything else."

Yawning one of the inspecting guards wandered over to them after shooing in a puffed up merchant caravan. A horrified look of disgust on the man's face at seeing Harry plunged Parvati's hopes into the mire of despair. Would the fellow reject their request? Plagues and what not could do a lot to a tightly packed city.

"Blood and ashes! What happened to that bloody sheepherder?" sharply questioned the man now backing away in alarm, his hands making warding hand gestures in fear. "Is he contagious?"

"He fell from his horse while fighting off a lot of cut throats. We brought him here hoping to find some Healing. Bleeding Whitecloaks have run off every Wisdom or Wise Woman in Andor, Cairhien, and maybe farther. So we brought him where they have no power." Neville replied tiredly, "Please let us through."

An older guard looked in and grunted, "Shock I'd say. Bloody Whitecloaks followed the Daughter Heir and False Dragon like a pack of wolves. We're bound to be getting more petitioners like them."

Edging closer the first sighed, then barked a command as if to prove he wasn't petrified just then, "Let'em through. One of you boys lead them, another run and tell the Sisters of him. I don't wish to have a bloody epidemic sweep over us all."

Riding through Tar Valon was both exciting and at the same time a trip into a nightmare that paraded as a happy lovely waltz into a fantastic dreamland. Cobblestones bumped and banged her and Harry about which had him crying out in screams of agony. She tried to keep him aloft with Saidar but the jarring impacts threatened to break her already frayed concentration. Plus at the speed their guide kept for them led to some bumps having the cart come up to meet her Harry if he didn't slam down to the hard wood.

By the time they reached the White Tower she was bone tired. Sweat was staining her dress and ran buckets down her forehead. But thankfully the streets' stones had grown smooth the nearer they were to the White Tower, allowing her a bit of a respite. Harry was moaning pitifully as brackish smelling blood seeped out of his scar after one hard bump had him hit the side boards. The stuff was tar like, clinging tenaciously to her and the cart.

Holding him close and trying to sooth and calm him she didn't really pay attention to the conversation between Neville, Padma, and a soft spoken woman. Parvati was barely aware of her own crooning of a comforting tune her mum used for her and Pads when they were hurting or sick. It was working though from what she could tell judging by his relaxing into simple mutters that couldn't quite be understood.

"Let me see him child." the soft spoken woman carefully ordered. "I may be able to help you with him. You did well child in protecting him, now let me do what I can."

"Par, let go. Come on sis, it will be okay. Let the Sisters Heal him now." Padma comforted her while helping to free the weeping Harry, "We can let them help him, Par."

"I love him! I won't lose him, EVER!" Parvati grew feral but felt so weary she could hardly resist her sister's firm hands. "He needs me, and I know I need him." She got a second wind and used it to fight to dab away that horribly unnatural blood from his forehead some more.

"She's exhausted physically, emotionally, and still is holding saidar. We'll need to carefully shield her to reach the poor boy. Remarkable to have two just ride in like this, and twins too boot. Remarkable." another woman observed from somewhere, "The Wheel has been gracious I see."

Padma hugged Parvati, whispering urgently, "Come on Par, let them work with Harry. He's safe here." The whole of it hit her then.

Letting go with a wailed, "I love him Pads. I love him."

She felt dizzy and tired. Drained so completely she realized she sounded quite well and away mad, but also her Harry was in need of her, "Don't hurt him. Don't hurt..."

"Dear thing was using everything to get him here. If he feels the same way about her, she'll have a Warder waiting for her already." Another woman sounded amused, "Such a strong pair too. I can't quite gauge them for some reason, but very powerful I wager from how much she was holding."

A strong pair of arms picked her up as her second wind faded away. Vaguely she heard Neville comfortingly tell her, "Go ahead and sleep Par. You're safe, as is Harr- as is Harjit. Both him and Pads will string me up by my nethers if I let you get hurt."

"Marvelous days we live in. The Daughter Heir in residence and so incredibly gifted too. And now these two come riding in here today. Sheriam will have to eat some crow on this. What a silly suggestion that we're breeding ourselves out of existence." one of the women observed in an almost scandalized giggle.

"Light did you feel how much she was holding? I couldn't ever equal that. Not even by half." a younger voice excitedly pointed out, "You don't think...?"

Sleep was dragging her implacably under so that she missed the rest of that, only rousing a bit when some witch said in passing, "... good to see our numbers grow. Eleven today..."

In her dream was a small mountain home with five kids romping around the place on some shetland ponies with several older ones guiding them. Laughing freely, Harry was much older and dashing about with the veritable hoard charging in pursuit. Beside her holding her close was a white shawled angel giggling at the oldest boy with dusky skin and flashing green eyes barking commands like a general. Rolling her eyes in a long suffering sigh was the oldest, a girl with bushy brown hair and just as vividly greed eyes. No worries were left in their lives.

It was so peaceful and Parvati could let her guard down to be swept up in the fantasy before her slumbering eyes.


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Eighteen: Sunday Morning Coming Down

Light leaked in through the high curtained window, spilling warmth over the curled up body on the cot below. Weakly the body creaked and stretched in its giving up on sleeping in any longer. Slowly but surely it sat up and reached out for something beside its cozy bed, but found nothing there. A couple grabs of empty air followed this failed search accompanied by groans of disgust. Again coming up empty it flung back its down stuffed comforter covering it to stand in woozy alarm. Though unsteady it frantically tosses the nearby detritus next to the bed in a true panic. What it has apparently lost meant a great deal to it, not counting the fact that they were of vital importance to its daily functioning in life. Treasures that it had never been able to go without, unless in times of cruel distress.

Then the mind and soul that occupied this mortal frame awoke as well.

"Bugger me!" he said in shock as he looked around his surroundings and body with ease, free of the shackling need for his ragged pair of spectacles, "I can see! I can see everything!"

Harry's mind had been sluggish at first but now he was fully awake and taking in everything about him, and of him as well, "My leg! My arm!" he danced and whirled like a loon in utter joy, "I'm healed! Ha, ha! I'm bloody well healed!"

Stubbing his toe on the cot he fully realized where he was, if not exactly where that was. Hopping about on one foot he saw he was in some sort of cell, but not a prison cell. Which was a relief. It looked more akin to what he imagined a monastery's accommodations to be like. Its mostly austere cot, chair, and table were simple in design. It was the extra touches that screamed wealth and comfort using the satiny down stuffed comforter as a measure. There was also a well made soldier's foot locker style chest that bore his veritable armory's worth of weapons and boots on top of it. Not a single one was missing he could see by their neatly arraigned stack. The financially strapped would be sorely tempted to kipe such a treasure trove. Then there was the cornucopia of a feast laid out on the sturdy table with a fully silver service for its specific use. His use if he read the message of there only being a single plate, bowl, and cup as significant when there was only him in this cell.

Giving himself another look over in amazement of being healed, the reality of his only being clad in the light hit him. Yelping in embarrassment he scrambled to search the chest in hopes that it held his clothes. Gratefully these too were all in there alongside his many bags and personal items. His wear worn regular outfit was neatly cleaned and folded, alongside his road roughened cloak. Looking further he saw that all his accessible wardrobe was washed, pressed, and tucked into the foot locker with neat precision. Every item in there was fit into it with exacting order. His Hermione would be shocked to see such a sight, or that he was approving of its condition as it let him test for any thefts in a few flicked glances. Plus he uncovered a new small purse with a note scroll wrapped around his glasses inside it.

"Harjit,

I saved these for you. You Truharts are a hard lot to kill thankfully. Parvati and Padma say hi, but are being shuffled off to the Novice Quarters as I write this. I'll be by later so don't harry off on some plot only a Potter could imagine.

Your future Brother In-law, Frank Oakhart"

Completely baffled but remembering old Therell's instructions in Daes Dae'mar, Harry got dressed. Wondering why he was to go by Harjit Truhart, a rather awkward name on the whole, he hurriedly put on his Reds and Blacks with relish for their clean crisp feel. After so long in his leg splint, it was thrilling to have the opportunity to slip his wear worn sturdy boots on along with the rest. Out of hard drilled in habit he strapped on his arsenal which were equal in his clothes in banishing the ill queer sensation of running about in his all and alls. Not having them on simply left him feeling off in the most embarrassing of ways.

A rumble in his stomach reminded him of his extraordinary meal awaiting his pleasure. A feast equal to any that Hogwarts had presented in his opinion. Buttered peas and spring onions mounded up in a mountain that filled a serving bowl that could double as a child's sleigh. Next to it lay a platter of bacon that may well have taken the sacrifice of two whole hogs to create. An armies worth of roasted lamb chops resting beside a sea of mint sauce. A second child's sleigh was heaped up with a rich creamy homestyle mountain of mashed potatoes capped by rivers and lakes of a spicy brown mushroom gravy. Stacks and stacks of a delicate fresh but crackly type of hot bread loaves stood ready to fill in and sop up what he wished. And most welcome of all was an enormous steaming hot pitcher of a spicy scented mulled wine that left him grinning by its heady aroma. There was little doubt he'd never be able to eat even a tenth of this as all four of his mates and possibly the witches as well could eat together from this feast, with not a one going unsated.

Plopping himself down at this kingly meal, he set to testing the edges of his non-Power wrought blades for sharpness or chipping. Casually eating he worked at keeping the tools of his trade in top working order out of habit and the calming focus such work imbued his soul with. Till, or more likely if, they found him a teacher in Saidin he was effectively an unbonded Warder. Swordplay and butchery were not done well with dull clumsily kept weapons. Satisfied with that he checked over the rest of his equipment, like the strained leather strap he found on his saddle bags. Protecting an Aes Sedai took more than the simple aforementioned blood letting. A Warder acted as the shield, servant, sword, and companion of his Aes Sedai. In a real sense he was the husband, brother, and father to her rolled up in one tightly wound package.

Draining his latest goblet, Harry was stunned, in less that thirty or forty minuts he'd devoured the whole of the feast left for him and still craved more. Even taking the time to lick up the buttery juices of his peas and onions didn't finish sating his growling stomach's demands. For a moment while he mournfully peered into the cleaned interior of his potato bowl, he wondered if he might or should go in search of more food. His stomach was doing an eager dance of joy at the idea, and the more he pondered it the more it sounded a grand plan. He was starving.

A knock on the door startled him out of his contemplation of his strange animalistic hunger. In its reluctant place was shoved the uneasy realization he was trapped alone in a minuscule cell lacking an emergency exit. Hesitantly he prepared to defend himself before calling out, "Yes? Who is it?"

"I bring food sir. The Aes Sedai ordered that the kitchens send you more." a girl's voice he remembered and vaguely cherished replied cooly, "May I bring it in?"

Unwarranted unfamiliar thoughts of how he treasured that voice conflicted with his native wish the owner had a good setting down, warred in his slightly sluggish faculties. They did nothing to stop his now leaping and babbling insatiably hungry stomach's urging to throw caution to the wind and let the girl in forthwith.

Unable to think things out rationally he let her in with an irritably barked, "You may, I'm decent." His ground in training and native distrust of others had him still ready a knife in preparation to lash out with any sign of trouble.

His door swung open and in came the exquisite Elayne Trakand, Daughter Heir of Andor in a simple unadorned white frock bearing a massive platter of food. A new pitcher of that fine wine was perilously teetering on the edge of her burden. Behind her was a cool eyed woman in a similar dress save seven colored bands on its skirts hem. Out of concern for the food and common decency, he relieved the princess of her tray and pitcher, uncaring if his other guest liked it or not.

"Your Highness let me." he said in automatic deference to the future Queen.

"There is no such personage here boy. Only a simple Novice by the uninspired name of Elayne. Is that not right, Novice?" the other coldly hissed menacingly, "Tar Valon has no pretty puffed up princesses walking its august halls."

Elayne winced but gave him a grateful winning smile that the other woman could not see, "That is correct Accepted. I am only a mere Novice."

Fearing that he might have unwittingly dumped a load of trouble on the girl, Harry hurriedly apologized, "My mistake, I'm sorry."

"No trouble boy. Now eat, the Master of Arms will be by soon to assess your suitability as a trainee for the Warders. I myself am finding such a turn unlikely, but then I have little care for such as men and their sharp play toys." commanded the banded girl with a dismissive sneer.

Elayne was looking at him inquisitively before slipping out with the empty dishes.

Devouring the food without much pause, Harry scratched his nearly fur clad chin. It was well past time for his lazy self to shave and at least have the appearance of a civilized fellow. If he could scrounge up a mirror he'd get about it, but there wasn't one in his packs or the cell. He'd have to remedy that, along with his now terribly shaggy head of hair. No doubt he looked an unkempt vagabond with so much wild fluff covering him.

Cracking his knuckles in tiredness, he laid out in his mind all that he knew right then. First was that he was in Tar Valon somewhere. Second was that Elayne Trakand had finally arrived as well, but here she was a nobody. Thirdly was that Parvati and Padma at least were there as well. Along with Neville, whom had already seen to putting in their requests to be taken into training as full Warders. But Harry was to pretend he was this Harjit Truhart bloke?

Twisting at his inch and a half chin rug, he ran through it all once more. What it added up to was a bit daunting on the whole. He had the uneasy realization that he was in danger of being discovered by the Red Hag Elaida. It just had to be that if Elayne was prancing about the place, her Red guardian was sure to be lurking near to hand. Only the Wheel was playing again by having the dazzlingly pretty princess be the one to bring in his second helping feast. Raising the disconcerting question of if she would run off as fast as Draco would to tell the nasty Red Sister? Or had she even recognized him? A distinct possibility as he was running around sans his trade mark specs and had the shaggy coat of a large goat right then.

Maybe he would stay a goat for the now.

But what of the others? Were they safe?

Anxiously he paced the longest expanse of his cell till another knock rang out in its confines, "Who is it?" he let out in a irritated snap.

"Harjit? Are you decent?" Parvati replied in trepidation.

"I am-." he replied but couldn't say more as a dusky angelic missile plowed into him. She was not alone and was clothed like Elayne from earlier.

Padma was calmly stepping in with a plain white frock exactly as her twin sister wore, but he had no trouble telling the pair apart. Even with the aid of their differing entrances, his Par held a fiery spark in her eyes that the reserved Padma could never emulate. They were like fire and ice personality wise, though Pads had her own heat when she was gazing at his best mate Neville. Personally he hungered for the fire of Parvati and would likely never get his fill of it.

Along with them came a young woman in a yellow shawl and matching dress. There was a man that set off all of Harry's alarms of danger a step behind. By the fellows graceful deadly stride and silent examination of both the cell and more importantly Harry, this fellow was a Warder. It was comical to Harry's Warder trained eyes to see the reproachful agitation the bloke's eyes leveled the woman in yellow's way.

"Harjit my love, we've all made it." Parvati informed while nuzzling into his chest with a sigh of long denied pleasure, "As we're betrothed, they've accepted you as a possible Warder trainee. I won't be able to see you again for a while but we had to let you know how much you mean to us." Her hands began to shake as she tenderly touched his face and neck, "I can't tell you how much I love you."

Padma was brimming with joyful tears as well, speaking with difficulty, "Tell my Frank how much I love him, Harjit. Novices are forbidden too much contact with men or boys, but I will work hard so that as soon as we can, we'll be reunited. We made it Harjit, we all made it."

Code, it reeked of code by Therell's instructions. Translation was simple and to the point for his ears to analyze. Everyone was safely in the Tower and he was to tell the boys the girls loved them. Also he was to not even think of himself as Harry at all, but this mythical Harjit character. Confirming that he was indeed hunted by the Red Shrew-in-Chief Elaida.

One other point troubled him, "I can stay because of our love? That's amazing, but what of all we discussed for our lives? Will it all be forgotten? So many are in need and wish for what I can provide them."

"Are you dismissing the child's future as your wife because of her future as an Aes Sedai?" the yellow draped woman sniffed darkly.

"Never." he curtly replied, "I'm just a man that must also see to others. Love and duty cuts deep for those who live to serve."

"For now our well is shared. All are agreed till you've found a solution or we did." Parvati smiled hopefully up into his face, her gaze captivating him, "But I won't walk away from us for whatever the future may hold in store."

Grinning in spite of himself, he translated all that as her way of proposing to him, but adding that the others refuse to walk away either. Lightly touching her face, causing her to shiver and return his grin, he responded, "I guess for now the well can stay and be shared till I can see to it or the unwanted comes at last. For now I stay for love. Par, my heart stays for all the love it holds and more. Though I fear the danger that lays upon the land is growing, and more afraid for the love I bear."

He begged her to see his fears tucked away in his own eyes. To know that he treasured her too much to let her see him be hunted down like a rabid beast by the Red Sisters for sport. Pouring this all into the light kiss he brushed her delicate enticing lips with as she met his gaze with her passionate iron willed eyes.

A spark of the fire that burned inside her for all of life, flashed and flickered as she increased the heat of their kiss. Letting him go only to speak in a challenging purr, "Remember that our love is what ultimately decides things. That what we share will keep us all safe till the day the Wheel and Pattern sees us returning home in glory and power. Where one goes, all must follow." she pointedly held his face in her hands, their faces mere inches apart to allow him to see the conviction on her soul in her luminous dark eyes. The translation was as load and clear as could be to him, "Don't dare think of leaving us buddy boy. You belong with and to us. If you even think of dreaming of skying off without us, we'll follow one and all like it or not."

Her nearness and passion held him transfixed, leaving him only able to whisper with his forehead pressed against hers, "I love you."

"That's all I want and more." she giggled waterily before kissing him again with less heat but no lessening of desire.

The yellow clad woman was eying them while ordering, "Well now that you've seen to your betrothed, you must be going. Novices must not forget themselves."

Scurrying out with some awkward curtsies, the twins blushed crimson in their smiling departures. Once the door came closed behind them, he was left alone to face the woman and wary Warder. Harry suspected he was not going to like what he was about to hear. Pomfrey had a very similar look like that on occasion, especially after the idiot Lockhart had vanished the bones in Harry's arm second year.

"I'm assuming you're a full Aes Sedai Sister, I'm sorry for not being swift enough to see it sooner." he bowed deeply to gather his wits from their flight among the clouds of love.

"Fair enough. I was recently raised and have difficulty seeing it myself. Case in point is that you sir are my first patient." She smiled in prim warmth. "As my patient I felt compelled to inform you first, before your lovely betrothed even, of things that are rather intriguing in an unwelcome way. In Healing we must delve deep into our patients to find all that we can or should Heal. Alarming things came to my attention when I did this. I'm sorry to inform you that you are not fully Healed because I and my guide both have never seen the like and could not fully purge your body of what lay inside it. What is there must be addressed soon for your own long term well being."

Cringing while preparing to hit the Aes Sedai and her Warder simultaneously, he cursed the Wheel's playing with him. If she had found his ability to channel they might be preparing to capture him if he refuses to go quietly. Which he most assuredly would not do. It must not happen if he cared any at all for the love of his witches, friends, and the slender chance he may yet return home with the training in Saidin needed back home. Just rolling over and playing dead had served no good at all in his life, so he was not about to start living with that habit now.

"Pardon me honored Sister, but what exactly did you find?" he'd have to hit her with a tickling jinx or cheering charm to avoid killing her, which he dearly refused to do as she had done nothing wrong. As for her wary eyed Warder, the man could be put out of commission by a quick incarcerous charm or petrification.

"We all conferred and agree your scar is much more than a simple infected scar. It's vile what we found lurking inside it. The best description is that it is overflowing with a malicious hate for all life. It has the markers of a severely deranged male channelor in one experienced consulting Red Sister's judgement. Some have postulated it is a form of the Warder bond, but that does not count in the disturbing judgement of my Red consulting colleague on this case that it is part of a soul, but only a small part of one. We can only postulate this mind you as we have never seen its like before in all the available Tower Records. As your designated lead Healer, I was sent to inquire of you what you may know of it." the yellow clad Sister informed him with true concern.

Falling into his seat, Harry grew incredibly sick as his limbs developed a weakening palsy at this unwelcome news. "He did something more? He didn't just try to kill me?"

"Who did something? Judging by your reaction there is a story connected to the scar." she inquired with stern interest, "You must tell us everything you know, or we will be unable to correct this effectively. The scar was effecting your eyesight and had tendrils latching onto your mind and life force. To be blunt, this thing inside that distinctive scar will kill you. There is no other foreseeable outcome in the opinions of all those that have delved its unwholesome depths."

A boiling storm in the pit of his stomach was threatening to unburden him of his enormous feast, "When I was a baby a sick evil male channelor came to my home. He murdered my father and mother, and was going to do the same for me. All that stopped him was something my mother did. I don't know what it was. No one does, but it broke the man and left me with this scar. Or that is what was thought to have happened as no witnesses survived the night and I was just a little over a year old."

Horror filled the seemingly imperturbable Aes Sedai calm of his Healer, her voice was a bit on the shriller side as she demanded, "Why were you not brought to us earlier. This is something we must know of and are the only ones in existence who could dare to hope of Healing it."

Idly Harry noted the Warder's change of posture from normal watchfulness to full preparedness. If Harry did anything untoward, it would be blades and death. A result that Harry wished nothing of, so he let the man see his wish to not follow that path. However he made it abundantly clear that he would not back down if it came to the ballet of blades. Therell had rigorously taught him and his mates the subtle secret signals of Warders to Warders to keep them from the need to verbally relay most commands to one another. All in the hope that they would be accepted more readily into the full training required of rawboned sheepherders they were.

His admonitions this way put the Warder off in hesitant confusion.

Picking up on some of this byplay, the Aes Sedai huffed, "Oh do stop flexing your muscles. Its quite distracting from what is important here. Men and their need to carve into each other! Now child, answer me."

"The ancient wise man that leads my people hid me from the male channelor and his followers. Afraid to let me be seen as the murderer is a powerful figure to some, outside of just his might in the One Power." Harry skirted the truth. Dangerous ground threatened to take him under here if he wasn't careful, "Most of my people fear the man, but some see him as some dark savior."

"I see. That is understandable as to why you were kept from us. Fools and the power hungry will flock to any banner that offers them what isn't theirs in the first place. Now as for you, we would like to offer you our services as Healers in exchange for the chance to study this phenomenon. It is singularly unique. In point of fact we insist that you stay. Any action by a male channelor that is new to us is of the utmost importance in finding a viable counter. Thus it has been agreed upon that you will be remaining here and allowed the privilege of Warder instruction. I must ask though in light of what you have shared with me, was your mother an Aes Sedai or a Wise Woman of some sort?" the Sister requested firmly.

"She was a very gifted woman as I've been told by some. Supposedly she was exceptionally powerful but was no match for my family's murderer. Some said what she did was unprecedented and very powerful as none survived facing the man when he came for them. Yet I lived." Harry tried to speak through his pain and loss coupled by the horror that Voldemort had left him with a bit more than a scar. "My father tried to fight and hold him off while she fled with me, but she could only do as she did. I'm sorry Sister but that is all I know. No one has ever cared to tell me more if they did know more themselves."

"Your mother must have been an Aes Sedai of the Green no doubt as your father must have been her Warder. So many leave and are never seen by the Tower again." the witch muttered consolingly while she touched his scar in a clinical examination. A chill hit him in a surge erasing all thoughts for a time.

When this came to an end she hissed, "It continues to resist Healing. I've tried several times. I swear it feels alive and independent of you.'

Shivering violently he gasped out while holding himself up with aid from the cell's lone chair. "That's what my people's Healers all say, but they've never said its alive. All they've ever said to me is that it in impossible to Heal."

After scrubbing her hands vigorously on her dress, she patted his face, "We'll find a way. Though I warn you it may take quite a long time."

In spite of the icy chill, her touching it had it twitching in fiery rebellion. Reaching up to massage away its agitation, he begged, "Don't tell my love. She would only worry. She wants to become an Aes Sedai and if she is focused on worry for me she may not make it. Her wishes and needs supercede my own."

"Agreed. Now my Clevon will see you to the Warders Quarters. Please accept my apologies for not completely Healing you yet." the woman then left absent mindedly scrubbing her hands on her skirt some more.

The Warder Clevon rhetorically asked. "You've been taught some?"

"I have but not nearly enough to call it sufficient. It is my dearest wish to be worthy of my love." he again answered by hedging the truth with truth. Therell spent a long time explaining that even the Warders of an Aes Sedai must know this trick in order to be effective at court, especially in dealings with other Aes Sedai. How else could Harry get away with lying to these people. Far better to tell the truth to start with so that he need not fear the questions later.

"Well we will put you through some testing. Just to be certain." the fellow grunted.

Taking his chest Harry followed the Warder down through a dizzying rabbit's warren of halls, stairs, and doorways. When they reached the more martial area of the enormous labyrinthine White Tower, Harry knew he was well and truly lost. And to his shame, more than a bit winded for the journey though he should've expected that. He was out of his daily drilling habits. However he was glad of the chance to remedy that soon.

His Warder guide led him through this more utilitarian and sensibly laid out quarter of the Tower, to a room conveniently with only five cots. Four of these were occupied by a motley lot he struggled not to grin at seeing. A side thought to his relief that it would just be the five of them was that apparently not many men came into the Tower for training as Warders. Of course Therell had made mention that many times a Sister found an already trained accomplished warrior outside of the Warder trainees. Many a Sister, and not just the Reds, chose no one at all for such an intimate arraignment as Warder Bonding. This is not including the unquestionable fact that most men fled from the Aes Sedai, not willingly flock to the Tower's service.

Looking up from mending his belt pouch's frayed straps, Blaise placed a finger to his lips in silence. Tapping his ear meaningfully when he had Harry's undivided attention.

They had listeners. Harry nodded imperceptibly and delivered his message. In code of course, though he loathed not having the privacy they deserved out of common courtesy. "Frank, I was allowed to talk with the twins. They informed me I was to say hi and that they send their love along but won't be able to see us for sometime. I guess white dressed Novices are forbidden to see men normally, or often at the least. I was a special case over riding that. Now which bunks mine? This one by the door? Brilliant."

Life was going to be interesting in Tar Valon if they were not allowed to rest for a change. It wasn't surprising, but most assuredly was annoying.

Neville's broad smile welcomed him back home amongst his vagabond mates, "Yep that one there Harjit. You know how life is, last one in is the first blighter to lose out."

In the corners of his eyes he saw the other three sighing with infectious grins. There witches were safe and sound. That was all that mattered to them in the end. Those lovely eight from home and their adopted two Ghealdaners were the only brightness in this merry little jaunt none of the boys saw themselves finishing.

The rest of their day was spent, "getting to know" the others. On the whole a rather annoying waste of energy as they knew each other in an almost brotherly unity. Subtlety and spycraft were not the things of high interest to them, save their Slytherin brother Blaise who only lived it because it was expected. However when the bell for supper rang, they had been at this ruse long enough to be openly friendly with each other.

That night they all stayed on heightened alert. Therell had relentlessly drilled them, and life thus far had bore it out, that an alert man was a live man. Blissfully obtuse fellows were usually corpses waiting to die. Even when nothing happened that night or even for the next week, they kept religiously to their lost master's teachings. As tense as they were they knew they were like as not far from being tense enough. Harry had deduced this was a time to lull them into a stupor of inattention, but there watchers were unaware of the fact that Therell had ground that out of them for the most part.

A young Tower Guardsman came with a message for Harry early in their second week in the Tower. Another treatment had been decided on and scheduled for that day, though none had informed him of it till the soldier arrived. This was the first call by the Aes Sedai since his awakening in that cell. Leery of going it alone, but having no choice for it, he did as bid. In wary preparation he glided carefully on silent feet behind the clomping young soldier of Tar Valon.

Eventually they met up with an Accepted in her banded dress and a long suffering grimace for Harry's mere existence. Her taking custody of his personage with a firm warning of, "Try anything I don't approve of and you will find yourself hanging out a window or stuffed headfirst into a wall. You have the look of a violent dodger if I ever saw one.", was a bit humorous to him.

"If you say so." he replied evenly. His eyes were actively studying her, the hallways around their journey, and everything else that may be a sign he was about to be assaulted. Aes Sedai could and would hurt others for some game they all play against the world and each other.

"You're a right shifty sort. What under the Light are you looking about for? An attack?" the Accepted chuckled venomously, "This boy, is the White Tower. Nothing dangerous ever happens here."

He ignored that idiotic assessment and the obvious fool woman who said it, beyond responding with, "Danger exists everywhere. Only the dead need not worry any longer."

Her eye roll at his reply told him it was a loser's game to convince her of the truth.

Deeper in and ever higher they traveled, till he was brought to a hall with decorative yellow tile work. His guide and goeler snippily informed him with a firm hand on his arm, "This is the Yellow Ajah's quarters. The penalty will be most severe if you act the uneducated brute you obviously are. You may be a mere man but that will be no excuse, boy."

"Brilliant." he laughed sarcastically at the idiot witch's statement, "Just ruddy well brilliant. Lead on and I shall strive most heartily to not be so lowly an ape."

That upset the Accepted even more, "Well come on you."

She took him to his first Healer Gwenathelian Sedai, whom was joined by another far older Sister by the name of Suana Sedai. Both women examined him quite thoroughly, or the scar at least. It was all for naught and left him shivering from a storm of strange chills and the fear they'd discover his being a wizard. Exhaustion hit him hard when they halted their work to scrub their hands vigorously in a steaming bowl of water. They had even took the time during it all to show the arrogant Accepted how to delve into his scar, which ended in her gagging and acting as if she were dipped in the worst of muck.

Returning to meet another soldier where they had left the other, Harry's hackles were raised. Here was a hardened veteran, not a mere boy still struggling to not trip over his own sheathed sword, but a bloke at ease with a fight.

Slipping into Cat Crossing the Courtyard, Harry was seemingly at his cocksure ease but only to the unobservant. In this hard taught strut, he was walking in a way ready to spring into battle at the slightest provocation. The man he was following was also eying the surroundings warily, especially Harry above the rest. It was as if he expected something and did not wish to lose sight of his charge, or more likely his victim.

And it did happen, not too far along their way.

Slipping out of the shadows behind Harry were two men with a predator's ease to their steps. They were silent and most likely to have been missed completely by Harry from Hogwarts, but not Therell's lead protégé Harjit Truhart. He was no easy meat these days.

Sliding smoothly away to his right, with his weapons drawn and blocking the men's blows by his longsword's cuendillar blade, he entered the Void. Steel rang out on cuendillar, as he spun deftly out of the way of the charging soldier who had been leading him. With a swift hard kick for the fellow's legs, he dropped the human bull to launch into a reversal attack on his would be assailants. Thrashing the Winter Wheat, an excellent dual weapon assault form had the trio quick stepping back. Following this with Fiddler and the Raven, a defensive form that sets up other strings parried away a second retaliatory thrust for his middle. Using that he fell into To Kiss a Princess that had them all dancing away from his defensive jabs to face and ribs rather nicely. A perfect time to toss in the feinting At Day's Rest, where he could fully incapacitate the soldier with a blinding backhanded use of his pommel stone that had the man standing dazedly in the way of the other two far deadlier foes.

"Enouph! That was impressive boy." one of the assailants rumbled out gruffly.

"You do me too much honor. A blade's best home is safe in its scabbard with one's enemies left confused and in disarray. But fight I must, so ready I must be." Harry returned with one of Therell's biggest lessons of warfare.

"Clevon was right. You've been taught some. That is good. I tire of green boys eager to ride the Blight for glory when they've never troubled themselves to figure out which end of a sword is sharp." the man rumbled on, "You've been accepted already but this was to make it all formal and legal in the paper work. My name is Hammar, welcome to the White Tower."

Harry bowed and sheathed his sword, then rehung his mace. "I pray I remain worthy and not stumble too often on my spurs. May I retire to my bunk now? I have been examined quite thoroughly by Aes Sedai."

"Have you been Healed? If you have, you must eat. That takes the wind out of a man." Hammar asked in a friendly rolling rumble.

"I have, but am not cured it seems. Standing ready counts for more than a belly ache or two." Harry formally replied while his stomach had taken to skipping and hopping around his middles in longing for the mentioned nourishment.

Laughing like a snorting bull, Hammar barked, "Go to the Kitchens and tell Laras I sent you as you've been Healed. Now off you get boy. Tomorrow you will be moved into the main barracks for trainees to begin your training in earnest."

"Thank you Master Hammar." Harry bowed and set off in search of the food that may sate his empty anxious belly.

Tar Valon and the White Tower was nothing like Hogwarts. It was built for more than training for one thing. It was a real vibrantly alive city. A city that was also home to a working seat of governance for the world's channeling population and those who support them. As close as Harry could place it in his limited knowledge of such things was that it was akin to the Vatican back home. Both of the city states had their citizenry spread abroad as workers towards the glory of these cultural bulwarks of civilization. In the Tower itself was none of the madcap pranks built into the supposedly elite school of Hogwarts by its Four Founders or their decedents to trap the unwary. The White Tower had no time for such silly innovations as it was built to be used by people who must lead the world, not be seen as a band of fools.

It was also immeasurably larger than Hogwarts for these very reasons. This included its Kitchens that were ran not by a battalion of humble House Elves, but a near legion of actual human beings. This army included students, unlike at Hogwarts. A fact Harry thought may be the reason there was no foolishness going on in the halls. If Draco had to scrub out massive stew pots very often, he might become less cocksure and in need of a nice little thrashing. Then again Snape would try to find a round about way to blame it all on Harry, no matter the truth of it.

However that was not here, and worries over such was a blind fool's game.

What he did see upon entering one of the quidditch pitch sized sub-kitchens made him work hard to suppress a chuckle. There, covered head to toe in the guck of said stew pots were three red heads he knew to varying degrees. One was the "Not Daughter Heir of Andor" Elayne Trakand, whom had a smear under her nose to match what coated her hands, dress, and the insides of her man sized cauldron she was half buried in. Beside her was the Ghealdan commoner Inn Girl Seandra, who was pouting but kept working without looking up. Finally was his love Ginny, whom glared at the Head Cook in open disgust. All three were beautiful specimens of the far fairer sex, even if they did not look anywhere near ready for company just then. More likely they wished deeply to hex anyone that came by.

Yet when Ginny saw him she lost all of her Weasley Witch Temper and smiled goofily. An action that caught the eye of Elayne which in turn roused Seandra from her task. All three girls now were watching him with differing reactions. His Ginny shook herself free of her daze to give him a tiny wave and a smile that sent his own mind on holiday. Seandra was blushing so brightly that it lit her flashing green eyes up till she ducked her head demurely. As for Her Not Highness Elayne, he got a look of confused contemplation to match his own at how she initially smiled as devastatingly as Ginny was currently. If life had been different, he'd have strolled over to say hi, risking Elayne's learning who he was in the process in order to share even one touch of his treasured Gin.

"What are you three silly geese all a gawking at?" the Head Cook sharply questioned, which had the trio all yelp in alarm.

"I'm afraid it's my fault. I came in and startled them ma'am. Master Hammar sent me to get some extra food as the Sisters tried to Heal me again. I don't wish to get them in trouble, as I am the one that does not belong here." he formally replied in apology, giving the three a contrite look for his misstep.

"I see. Well I always make it a habit of setting aside a portion for things like this. Now girls pop to it. He's not a trained Warder yet and you've years waiting before attaining an Accepted's banded dress. Dream of boys later for the now." the big woman clucked and got the guck painted triumverate of gingers a'moving. When she was satisfied with her scolding's work sending Elayne back to scrubbing with a squeak, she turned back to him. Her fingers snapped to send a weary looking scullion off running to a far pantry door.

Only this thankfully kept her from witnessing Ginny and Seandra both mouthing him messages. If she had there would've been some hard questions to be answered by them all.

Ginny's was in English, "I love you, and try to stay safe for me."

Seandra's stood as its contrast in Common, "I miss you Harry."

"Here you go young man." she warmly presented him with what the scullion returned with on a simple wooden serving tray, "Next time come straight to me. It's nicer for you and the girls who've been assigned chores here." She examined him a second more to add with a wide approving grin, "And now that I got a good look at you, I remember what I was told of you. With your betrothal to one of those delightful twins that came in, there really is no sense in letting a pretty thing like you get some fool girl's hopes up."

At the word betrothed, one hard thump and two resounding clangs announced the three red heads eavesdropping. He was clueless what Parvati and Padma had shared with the other witches so he dug up some Slytherin style side speaking to give at least his Ginny a message, "My love is unwavering and its well is wide and deep. I do hope though that some don't receive the wrong messages or impressions by what is seen or thought heard."

Ginny and Seandra were grinning again as he left. Elayne was watching them all way to curiously with her court raised eyes. Something he could not deal with right then, if ever. He had to eat and return to the other wizards. Tiredly he gladly began tucking away the image left to him of his beloved with all the best he treasured of his Ginny. He chuckled fondly of her untamable spirit battling the muck from feeding a veritable nation. It would sit proudly alongside her gazing at him with her elbow in the butter in high honors. Devine beauty did not lay in the seductive looks of perfection, but the tiny slices of daily life's travails that show the gentle truth that stole the heart Going over his collection, he was a very lucky man. Impishly though, he pondered if he should mention how Ginny looked to her brothers.

He decided not to as he envisioned searing storms of fire and blood crazed mucus assaulting him no matter where to, or how fast he ran.


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

Chapter Nineteen: Living Outside of Normal

It was unjust and rather rude not to allow her to skip between work and studies, Luna decided. Walking was too bland and running was way too tiring, but to skip said one was happy what she was doing and eager to see or witness more. Here in Tar Valon it was walk when going about a witch's business or run when found to be late. They did not see the clear advantages of skipping. Which was only to their detriment she felt wholeheartedly.

So here on a glorious day with so much sunlight that distant Dragonmount glowed in gilded splendor, Luna was going against her primal nature to stroll sedately to her lessons. Her only high point to doing this utterly ponderous act of walking was going slowly past the upper floor windows overlooking the Warder training yard. Most of the sillier witches were swooning over Galad, or as she dubbed him Galad the Cold. There was no question he was an adonis to match the best of those ancient Greek statues of their gods and heroes, in spirit as well as sculpted beauty. Just as those pretty works of art had no life, neither did the dark haired prince of Andor. He had no spirit or soul beyond in doing, or forcing the world to be doing, what he thought good. No, there was only one down there that Luna's eyes could not be drawn away from, and in truth he was the singularly brightest treasure of the lot. Harry Potter, her future husband and Warder stood as a matchless beacon of hope and justice, but not simply those alone as he was also so tender and gentle she felt like the prettiest of doves in his hands. Whenever she saw him- as she had just now where his eyes seemed to know that she was hidden above watching him to bestow a smile on her- she was left feeling dizzy like when one eats too many dirigible plums and forgot to anchor themselves.

She did that once or twice and had to be retrieved from the Weasley's trees. It was great fun if a bit thrilling in the offing.

Almost skipping again in her joy at seeing her dashing Harry with his smile just for her, Luna let herself pout. Even going so far as to stomping a foot once. Very un-lady like and did damage her ankle by its added forcefulness, but she felt well justified. A girl was born to skip, not plod when happy.

And today she was given to extra happiness. She was allowed to actually play with the One Power once more. The silly Aes Sedai were afraid she would not be able to control a simple weave of Air. She gladly exhibited her skill to prove this flawed theorem wrong by picking them and their chairs up, and with excruciating care, replacing them where the chairs seemed more happier to be.

Her next lesson was with Sheriam Sedai again. She didn't like these sorts of lessons, but a witch had to learn all that was taught even if it was a bit silly and stung uncomfortably when sitting. Cushioning Air weaves were an efficacious remedy for such though so she felt little need to baulk or decry the coming unwelcome state of her hindquarters.

What was the logic behind giving a thrashing for doing as she was bidden? Galina Sedai did demand that Luna try a simple weave of Air to learn its complex difficulties. Thus she dutifully obeyed the Red Sister's instruction and felt it illogical for the woman to make such an issue of the exhibition requested. But then Luna had to remind herself that the highest ranked Red Sister was a bit of a shrew. Most Reds were it seemed.

Again she was skipping. It was rather vexing to quit.

 _"A proper Aes Sedai does not skip."_ , Sheriam Sedai informed her when the Mistress of Novices had returned with the Amyrlin's grand expedition to the Borderlands.

With her return had been two new initiates but curiously only one was made a Novice. She was a nice girl that Luna had seen would go very far, as well as mean a great deal to the Dragon. The Tower Broken would kneel to her as well, she had seen. Then there was the terrible sadness of an Imprisoning Exile by a dreadful self sacrifice. Salvation from Utter Catastrophe was held in her loving hands. Then there was the Light She Bore in the Place that Was Not and Is Forever. Just to name a few of those normally rare intuitions her daddy kept telling her never to repeat.

 _"Ravenclaws are visionaries, not seers of visions."_ were his exact and often repeated words to her. So she tried never to say anything more to anybody, aided by her father's reluctant curse work. That is till she hinted heavily of it and other things to her dearly treasured near sister Parvati.

But none of her past was important in the tumultuous arrival of these new comers to the White Tower. One of whom had heralded big changes for the Hogwarts witches. When Nyneave, a witch that rivaled even Harry for drowning in wrackspurts, had first stepped into Tar Valon the whole of the ancient Tower had trembled. She was well and away beyond any else alive in natural power. She was also never a Novice but instead sent straight to testing for her banded dress and ring as an Accepted.

Unprecedented and very welcome a change Luna thought. It reminded her how glad she felt that the Aes Sedai had decided it was time to allow Angelina and Alicia to test for their rings. Even if the Aes Sedai themselves had not realized that they were about to.

It wasn't a vision, but a visible course of logic. They would be taking the oldest, Angelina, to be tested tonight and Alicia the following night. A pleasant turn of the Wheel Luna decided on the whole.

Again she had to physically stop herself from skipping.

Totally unfair, totally unnatural, and terribly illogical.

This caused her to have a sudden infestation of wrackspurts. It took sometime to banish them, but her happy thoughts of Harry's dashing smile did the trick. Well that and madly shooing the blighted things away. A witch must do what a witch must do.

People judged that she was quite mad, but they were the mad ones. To live willingly in an angry funk from not opening their eyes was the true madness. She on the other hand was enlightened and lived in peace with both herself and her surroundings.

Pondering this with ponderous steps, she made her way to Sheriam's study. There she met an Aes Sedai named Moria. Luna curtsied and entered as the witch left. Some Aes Sedai felt off, but not in a way Luna could put her finger on. They just were.

That parting Sister was one, as was Galina, Alviarin, and numerous others. One was the plump kindly looking red headed woman gazing up from some stacks of papers at her in a long suffering disbelief. Sheriam Sedai was beloved by the others, but Luna could not find the will to lay trust in her. It was like eating an apple sugar pop rolled in chocolate, marshmallows, sweet mints, and topped with powdered sugar. Just unpalatably sweet, as if hiding a rotten core.

"Gracious child, again? What in the Light did you manage to do this time?" the woman asked in exasperation.

Luna told her the truth, "Galina demanded I use Air in a simple weave to demonstrate its inherent difficulty. So I moved her and Duhara Sedai's chairs to whey they wished to be. It was rather simple."

"Galina told you to move them to the spot you put them?" the large witch asked carefully for clarification.

"No the chairs did. They also thought the Sisters were a bit heavy to move as well, but I didn't think that was the case at all. Air is so easy and fun to work with." Luna confessed in all honesty for the most accurate of record keeping of this visit to the Mistress of Novices' office.

"They were not still seated in these friendly chairs were they?" Sheriam's eyes were filled with mirth and horror in equal parts. It wasn't becoming in Luna's assessment. It worsened when Luna could only shrug in confirmation. "Oh child! My dear child, please remember that an Aes Sedai must be allowed her decorum. Well, you know what I warned the last time."

"Yes. Ten lashes for not giving proper respect. I can see why telling Learin Sedai's notes to return to their stacks when she wasn't finished with them yet was a bad thing now. I shouldn't listen to everything's requests all the time." Luna smiled as she remembered that day. That was when Harry could slyly tell her he loved her in passing.

She had been left in such a flutter.

Readying herself for the paddling, she inquired, "When will I be ready to be tested?"

"Child, I have no idea. You must learn poise and self restraint alongside your control of Saidar." Sheriam gave a tired little sigh before laying into Luna. Neither witch enjoyed it and was glad to be done with it at its end.

"I'll try harder. I just feel so happy sometimes, and feel I should celebrate. It was great fun to use Air as Galina Sedai requested." Luna confessed before curtsying to leave. If she hurried, she may yet be in time to catch a glimpse of Harry one more time.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sitting cross legged on her cot, Hermione was reading. The Library of the White Tower was enormous in comparison to any other she had visited before. Hogwarts' could fit in whole in just half of one antechamber in one wing of the Tower's. If she lived a thousand lifetimes, she would never manage to read through a quarter of it.

But a witch had to start somewhere. Her start had been rough till she found a Brown willing to teach her the Old Tongue. Now it was merely distressingly problematic, and not purely impossible. What she could learn, she would and that was all she could expect of herself. A thought she had to keep telling herself over and over in a mantra of forgiveness. If she said it often enough, she might get lucky and start to believe it herself.

What she read currently was the incomplete analysis of the Age of Legends, the War of Power, and the Breaking. The tome was incomplete as the historian was a male Aes Sedai alive back then. What he wrote reminded Hermione of what she saw in the last couple of memories of the trip through Slytherin's Truth. Or what she now suspected was a powerful ter'angreal.

Jesse Sedai of the Brown had gave Hermione special permission to have access beyond just the lower level books for some reason. Not even Padma was allowed this much leeway, but Hermione would not squander what she had been entrusted with. So she read voraciously while furiously making notes as best she could.

Women's voices kept intruding on her as she devoured the rare treasured history she was hoping to finish by the next night. Whomever they were she truly felt a strong desire to hex the lot into gelatinous goo. How in the Merlin forsaken Light was a girl to study with all that racket?

Crawling over to the Saidar drilled hole in the wall leading to the next room where these voices proceeded from, she was stopped by her finally identifying who it was. It was the High Trio as some of their detractors called them, along with their infuriating tomboy friend Min. The Accepted Nyneave was growling and snapping as she was given over to doing regularly. How a woman with a temper like that became the "Wisdom" of her town was beyond Hermione's comprehension. Meanwhile the other pair to that triangle, Egwene and Elayne, were using the One Power. A simple light ball weave that the untrained would play with for fun and practice. Hermione and her group of friends would play that on occasion for appearances sake alone. They were finding it exceedingly hard as time pressed on to not let go and train as hard as they knew they could. These Aes Sedai did not see or understand that the Hogwarts witches were far more advanced in skill than the average Novice. Poor Luna was receiving the worst of this, Sheriam Sedai even went so far as to comment that the blond waif lived in a world devoid of fear or even a modicum of caution.

Resisting her urge to give her noisy neighbors an earful, Hermione heard them going on about that toe rag Galad and his lieutenant Gawyn. Two boys that according to the newly raised Accepted Angelina and Alicia, annoyed the wizards to no end. The pair of lordlings didn't even have to sleep in the same barracks as the rest, and yet some of the more slack jawed in training worshiped the duo. Even acting as if Galad was god of the blade or some such rot, never mind the pair had yet to best Harry.

At least the girls in the next room, some at least, were not as bad as that Elsa Grinwell. A silly cow that made Seandra and Emmatilde's boy craziness seem slight and demure. Which reminded Hermione of her Harry. Try as she might, the more she was away from him the harder it became to think. Just a glimpse of him sent her into a silly flutter of her own, but then it sharpened her resolve and focus to a razors edge. He would be her Warder and husband, even if she had to drag him bodily to the alter to do it. Memories of her one time crush on Ron shown her the difference in emotions involved, she was irrefutably in love with Harry.

Going back to her bed to once more try and read, she about gave up in a scream of raw frustration when Angelina slipped in, "Hermione, the girls are all meeting in Parvati's room. Harry is going in for another treatment and Alicia has been the Accepted selected to escort him."

Scrambling to get up, she tripped on her thin blanket and dropped the fragile book, tearing its spine. Panicked, she embraced Saidar and cast, " _Biblios Reparo!_ " in a knee jerk reaction, which had the ancient tome fix itself back up nicely. Something hit the wall at the same time with a burst of the One Power. Angelina had quickly joined her in embracing Saidar to watch the door carefully. With nothing more going on, Hermione and Angelina hurriedly left a bit sheepishly for their jumpiness.

Along the way they met Liandrin Sedai who vindictively sneered at them in passing.

"That woman is pure evil." hissed Angelina in a conspiratorial whisper. "I don't envy whomever she's after."

"If we don't get a move on it will end up being us." Hermione urged. "But I agree, evil."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Serving tea for Queen Morgase and the Amyrlin made Parvati a bit nervous. More from the hostility the two women clearly held for the other but did not say a solitary word of, than from just their exalted ranks as Women of power. Times like this were bad, and any sane woman could tell you unequivocally that when powerful women stopped talking, soldiers started marching. Keeping her head down and demure like this occasion demanded took inordinate skill and concerted concentration for all the fear she was feeling just then.

Glancing at her twin sister Padma now and again confirmed they were both well aware of this darkening tension. They were also cursing their selection for this duty by the mere fact they were pretty and identical. Plus they were exotic in accent and features compared to all of the Tower's other Novices. Judging by the social climate in the current negotiations it was not a time to stand out. But for the Patil Twins, that was a ludicrous impossibility.

Delicately Parvati poured another cup for the Queen. Trying desperately to appear as the furniture about the austere Amyrlin's study. Padma was studiously cutting more finger sandwiches for the boys Galad and Gawyn. Those two had just been Healed after a hard fought dual with Harry and Blaise that only ended with the Queen's summons of her sons. From what Angelina said, it had been a brutal stalemate with both sides busted up for it all.

"Where is my daughter? That is the biggest question I have presented you with." Morgase primly took her cup from Parvati while berating the Amyrlin without sounding it. "How could you lose my daughter inside the White Tower itself?"

It took some modicum of crafted control not to pop off about how spoiled rotten said daughter was. Same could be said about the two boys sitting with the woman. Brats that had been given far too much slack to play at games while things must be done. Keeping her face placid, Parvati listened without looking as if she was.

"We suspect many things but none of it will aid you, or us for that matter." the Keeper Leane Sedai spoke up calmly, "Be at ease your Majesty, we will find her and her friends."

The tense silence that followed this was only punctuated by the clinking and sipping sounds of the three great women and the two princes. Standing off to the side, Parvati dutifully awaited the call to serve more where needed. Her mind slipped idly into thinking about all they had learned upon coming to this world, and not just Tar Valon. It all added up to quite a lot and yet not even near enough to call it a success. Not by half or more would she dare to label it such. Then again they had discovered Harry's scar was likely a bit of Voldemort, and it was steadily killing her love by the day.

They also had learned that this world was fast coming to an end of an Age. A dreadful bloody time for them to pop by for a visit, or the best time depending on how one looks at things. Personally Parvati could not decide what side of that argument she fell in with.

"Tell me why I should ever listen to an Aes Sedai ever again?" Morgase coldly questioned.

"Because your kingdom would be no better than a fishmonger with no fish." the Amyrlin colorfully snapped in retort. "Without our life line for you, other nations would begin to swarm you under like a school of silverpike."

"That is not my point. How can I put trust in people who can't keep their own house? Questions will be raised about this. My daughter is not some stray that you pick up now and then. She is the Daughter Heir, not even this Nyneave I've heard some go on about matters more than Elayne." the Queen ground out with a lecturing tone for the most politically powerful witch alive and her lieutenant. Then added a cool sweet smile for Parvati and Padma, "Even if there are some as unique as these two."

It would not be good to start hexing the bint for suggesting that Parvati and her twin sister were in any way inferior to the spoiled rotten Elayne, she had to remind herself. It was a real blessing that neither Neville or her Harry had been present to hear that little remark. Both boys had a temper when it came to the girls. Blaise would have just walked away with a witty cutting jest and found a nasty trick to pull on the woman later. As for the Weasley Twins, who could tell what they would unleash or do. However she knew Harry's protectiveness went far and deep into the realms of the scary on occasion.

A knock at the door announced a messenger by the rapped out signal of such. If the Mother did not wish to be interrupted for certain people she need not answer, or more likely have her attending Novice answer as she signaled Padma to do. Scurrying to obey, her twin opened the door and let out a tiny gasp that she tried to cover with a small cough. The messenger boy was Harry kitted out as a full Warder minus the color shifting cloak only awarded to the bonded.

"I've been instructed to inform the Amyrlin Seat and Her Majesty the Queen of Andor of drastic events from Falme. May I be given entry?" he declared with a formal stiffness that any full Warder would approve of.

Parvati winced at the real possibility he might be recognized by the Queen.

At a curt nod from the Amyrlin, Parvati's love marched in. Or more to the point swaggered like a Warder ready to fight would march. His heavy boot shod feet hardly made a sound on the polished stone floor before stepping onto the elegant floor rugs. And the Queen was obviously noticing him. Parvati could almost hear disaster coming in the form of a denouncement of his status.

"Mother, your Majesty." he bowed to the two women in reverential respect, "We have reports from the coast of Arad Doman. Supposedly Atur Hawkwing's Army has returned. Worse yet they come openly using the One Power as a weapon against those forces who oppose them in any significant way."

Everyone grew a bit sick at that thought. Save Harry himself who stood at ease without a single indicator of his emotional state. He was a weapon or soldier of Tar Valon, nothing more or less.

"Do we have absolute proof?" the Queen asked calmly, but a slight touch of green marked her features.

"I do not know beyond the hearsay that followed this message, your Majesty. Mother, now that I have delivered the message, may I return to my training and regular duties? Unlike some, I am committed to my training to become a warrior worthy of the name and rank of Warder. I am not here for play time or to be a giggling boy swinging about his father's blade." Harry stiffly requested with a bow but his eyes never left glaring at the pair of now fuming lordlings. Parvati was left wondering if this was her love's way of picking a fight without coming out and declaring it.

"You may Harjit." the Amyrlin smirked with a side glance for her Keeper.

He turned on his heel with military precision and an ease that had her struggling not to glow in pride. This was her man, a warrior without peer and the heart of a lion. His parting smile for just her left a giddy smile brightening her features as her own heart melted like butter.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Manipulating Water under the tutelage of Alanna Sedai, Ginny felt worried. The Aes Sedai were unaware of Harry's ability to channel yet, but that could be because of the dilemma of his scar. It baffled and confused them all to no end. And what baffled the Aes Sedai made them irritable. Plus they were beginning to become fascinated with what his mother had done for him before she died, or possibly the exact moment of.

This in turn had them studying him nearly every night. When ever they brought him in, it made the whole Hogwarts band nervous. Would this be the time they found Harry could channel? It seemed highly likely that they would.

Also came the mounting fear that they would be uncovered as not belonging to this world themselves. Each of the nine Hogwarts witches could channel as well as any Accepted currently in the Tower. Even better than Nyneave, whom had a well known temper and block attached to it. Something that surely had both Angelina and Alicia noticed, and tested for Accepted. Though both passed, neither could ever bring themselves to tell of what it was like. From their haunted expressions the days following their testing, this was not as pleasant as the Hogwarts sorting hat or scribbling out a few answers on parchment.

Ginny had inadvertently added Fire, her favorite of the Five Powers, to her weave of a whirling ball of Water as it began to steam and bubble. Alanna Sedai smiled sweetly with a questioning eyebrow.

"I'm sorry Alanna Sedai. I became agitated." Ginny apologized quickly.

"I'm not accusing you child, just reminding you to be careful." the Green Sister fondly patted Ginny's cheek, "I remember being so much like you. Headstrong and impetuous to the chagrin of some of my own instructors. But an Aes Sedai must raise themselves above such things, child."

"Yes, I will try harder. Alanna Sedai, some say we must divest ourselves of all emotion to become true Aes Sedai. If we must, I fear I will never attain the Shawl." Ginny bitterly remembered the harsh lesson they had with Alviarin Sedai. That woman had seemed delighted to torture Luna for being generally given to a pleasant mood.

"Oh my poor dear child. Surely you misheard whomever you listened to. An Aes Sedai is not separate from her emotions, but in complete control of them." the Green seemed to be nearly laughing at the situation. "I believe you have the potential to become a breath taking Aes Sedai for the Ages."

Reconcentrating on her weaves, Ginny had the weave for the ball of Water cause it to change shape and form. Transforming it into chilly mist, a tiny steam cloud, pure water, ice, and a variety of shapes from ball, pyramid, square, cylinder, and more. Alanna Sedai would say a shape and consistancy for Ginny and a few other Novices. Including Luna, who was beaming while working, the Slytherin duo of Tracey and Daphne, whom were trying hard not to get carried away as they had with Air, and finally an older Novice Ginny didn't know that well by the name of Calistian mo'Para.

A polite knock had Alanna signal for a stop to practicing. "Yes who is it?"

"Nearia, you had said you would show me the weave for bonding when I'd found a willing candidate?" a woman asked in embarrassment from the other side.

"Good Sister." Alanna had a glowing aura just then, she invited the other Aes Sedai in. "Come on in my dear. Daphne do be a dear and serve tea will you."

Rushing to obey the Slytherin had tea brewing in no time as the young Nearia glided in, followed by a barrel chested man who appeared twice the woman's age. Then again Aes Sedai aged funny, so she could be twice his.

Introductions were exchanged all around as the Novices scurried to clear an area for the event at Alanna's direction. Ginny's heart was beating on the double quick from the excitement she might learn this tantalizing weave, if the Sisters allowed the Novices to be present that is.

Alanna had them all gather around her, Nearia Sedai, and the chosen soon to be Warder. "Now I'll weave it, but won't lay it upon your Dareagio here. Girls pay close attention as well will you. Most of you will soon be Accepted working towards your Shawls. This is a very important weave to learn in a Sister's life, though some decry its teaching till needed. I personally think it is a fantastic idea for Novices and Accepted to already be prepared. A Sister can never be too prepared for when a chance comes to bond a fine new Warder. Am I not right Nearia?" Luna had a soft sad sigh for that.

"Exactly so Sister." the younger Aes Sedai was practically giggling in reply, a fond hand petted the would be Warder's burly arm.

Bustling over to have a good position to see from, Ginny and her friends were coming close to giggling from the excitement themselves. To learn how it is done and hopefully be able to use it on their respective wizards when they had a chance was stealing away with their veneers of Aes Sedai decorum. Of course they knew they could not do it right then, but they would see to it soon enough.

What they witnessed was a seemingly simple weave, because of its use of just Spirit. However its subtle intricate patterning of Spirit into the delicate weaving made it have a depth and complexity that took effort to follow. They could not have come up with this on their own, or if they had it would have been pure mischance and impossible to replicate for others to see.

Watching Alanna demonstrate it several times till all of them had a good idea of how to weave it, then seeing Nearia perform it in full made it a lock. Ginny just knew it then. As with most of the weaves she saw, she knew them after only once or twice. Same with the other girls from Hogwarts. Though Luna, Hermione, and Daphne all only had to witness it only once. This way of learning was much quicker than the toil at Hogwarts. Seeing all this was confirmation of their journey through Slytherin's Truth they had all endured. Proper teaching of the One Power made stick shaking irrelevant.

After the newly bonded Warder and his Sister Nearia had left with blissful smiles on their seemingly drunken faces, Ginny and the other Novices made ready to return to work. In even more determination than before, the Hogwarts set concentrated as Alanna made them work in more complexity. Two weaves, one of Air and one of Water was demanded. These they had been instructed to pass them along to each other. Air was to go to the left as Water went to their right. This put the sweat into them.

Yes they had played at passing the light balls about, but that was a single type of weave. This was something altogether different. It took patience and concerted teamwork. Alanna also was monitoring how powerful they made their weaves. In their endless chain passing, the girls were required that they keep all of the balls close to perfectly equal for each to handle without fluctuations in the Power. By the time the Green Sister was finished with them, the Novices were exhausted and excited at the prospects it provided.

Weakly wobbling back to their rooms to freshen up before the evening meal, each couldn't help but giggle in pleasure. Holding and using the One Power was intoxicating, but exercises like this built them up and taught them fine tuned control. More verifiable control meant the sooner they would be raised. And Accepted could have more contact with men.

When Calistian waved and left them, the Hogwarts girls all began excitedly to discuss what all they had learned. It was brilliant and measurable gains in their learning.

"Too bad Hermione and the Patils had to miss that." Tracey weakly chuckled while leaning on Daphne, "Angelina and Alicia too for that matter. Of course your brothers would be in for it for sure."

Ginny nodded tiredly, "But its what they want anyway. Likely they would want to get it done immediately. Daphne, Luna we have to talk this over with Parvati and Hermione. Unlike Tracey here, our eligible Warder in waiting has yet to choose one of us. I don't think we should let just any one of us bond him. All of you are my friends and nearly like sisters I never had, but I'm bloody well not giving him up."

Tracey snickered unhelpfully, "To tell the truth, if I was in you lot's shoes I'd be ready to murder the lot of you. My man is my man. If he wasn't willing to choose just me, he isn't worth me. That's how I see it."

Luna was actually stomping out each step with a concentrated effort to speak, though in a distracted fierceness, "I must not skip. I must not skip. Harry is no ordinary boy. I must not skip. I must not skip. He holds our hearts and loves us equally and utterly. No skipping. There will be no skipping."

The others were looking at their blond friend with concern for all that, but Daphne added, "Tracey, it's too complicated for words."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Holding Tracey close as she wept from the thrashing she had just returned from for the unforgivable crime of brushing Blaise's hand in passing, Daphne fumed. Elaida Sedai was a nasty bit of work that had too much time on her hands if she could spend it harassing Novices all day long. All the Red's for that matter, as the lot were on some tear to make Tracey, Daphne, and Ginny's lives miserable. Where in stark contrast there was the Grey Ajah, who one and all treated Tracey and Daphne as treasures and had began to take up an inordinately large amount of the Slytherin pairs' training. Or then there were the Blues and Greens, whom treated the fiery Ginny and strangely enough Daphne herself as favored children. But not the Reds whom acted as if they could bully the girls into submission. All except Luna, though they treated her as more a pet than human girl.

"What did I do to that hag?" wailed Tracey into Daphne's shoulder, "I can't even go different directions, she hunts me down. And Sheriam says I must present better decorum."

Soothing her cousins hair Daphne replied in consolation, "She is the Red Hag for a reason. I just didn't understand what the boys were saying. We have to act as Harry did with Snape. Keep on going and not letting her break us. We're better than her."

"That's so different from what we've been taught back home. Bend and flex to fit in where we can." Tracey sniffled back some gurgling tears. A few watery hiccups made it tough to comprehend what her cousin said.

"But that way was never really put to the test. We had Snape on our side and could stand back in the shadows from direct trouble. These Aes Sedai won't allow that. We've got to be strong on our own I think. We're expected to be leaders, not to be followers." Daphne confided in her distraught cousin.

"That is exactly what is expected." Sheriam Sedai's voice caused the two girls to jump in alarm. They had been private in Daphne's cell, but in Tar Valon no where is there true privacy. "Daphne my dear child, come with me. It is time."

"What time is that? Where are you taking her? Sheriam Sedai?" Tracey demanded then moderated her tone at the gaze the Mistress of Novices gave her.

Daphne was trembling as she answered Tracey for the woman. "I am to be tested. It is my time to face the Arches."

"Very good child." Sheriam Sedai smiled broadly, "Very good indeed."

"Already?" Tracey asked in awed trepidation.

"The Wheel waits for no woman." the Aes Sedai replied knowledgeably.

Daphne was afraid beyond measure, some that tested never returned. With a quick hug, she whispered in Tracey's ear, "Tell the others to keep Harry safe and locked up tight from doing anything if I don't return. As for him-."

"I'll tell him, but you best return Daph. Please return." Tracey squeezed the life out of her, "We all need you."


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

/= **Excerpt**

$= Parseltongue

 **Chapter Twenty: Bring Me to Life**

Following obediently behind Sheriam Sedai, she felt sick to her stomach. Yet this was what she wanted. This is what she had came to Tar Valon and the White Tower for. Hogwarts was nearly a distant memory for her after all that she had been through to get here. Its gentle quirky world was not the one she now walked. The White Tower was demanding and bitterly hard on a witch. Where Hogwarts placed value on a few well done essays, a practical exhibition or two, and just living as a child, the White Tower shaped silly girls into witches of character and strength like a blacksmith at the forge ringing with fiery hammer blows. Lumps of mindless silly little chits enter, but they either learned and were reshaped, or they never leave.

Coming to Tar Valon had been an ordeal beyond what she could have dreamed of, but its rewards had been superb. When she returned to her home world, she would be witch worthy of the title Aes Sedai. And the terrifying testing to be raised to Accepted was just one step she must take to see that reality take shape. She had no time for the foolish ways of a simple minded ninny of a girl, she must be more than that.

Entering the subterranean domed chamber that was home to the Arches, she again takes a moment. The thing is a wonder like she has only seen one other time in Slytherin's Truth. Three connected arches sit in a circle on top of a binding connected circle. At the base of each attached arch set, sat an Aes Sedai Sister cross legged. Another stood off to the side with a plain table holding three silver chalices.

The one at the table challenged them as they entered, / **"Whom do you bring with you Sister?"**

 **"One who comes as a candidate for Acceptance, Sister." Sheriam replied/** in formal challenge.

 **/ "Is she ready?"**

 **"She is ready to leave behind what she was, and, passing through her fears, gain Acceptance."**

 **"Does she know her fears?"**

 **"She has never faced them, but now is willing."**

 **"Then let her face what she fears."/**

Before they could go on further she had to strip. It was cold and embarrassing, but this was just one step and inconvenience in a long list of them. She would not stop for this discomfort when she had came so far. She was ready.

 **/ "The first time," Sheriam said, "is for what was. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."/**

Hesitating to take a breath and focus her will, she stepped forward. Immersing herself in the glow inside the Arches. Just one more step.

Running in her mind was a near mantra to focus her wildly scattered thoughts. She would become an Aes Sedai. She would be bonding her love. She would bring back the light to her world. Just one step on her way home.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Daphne sat watching the Duel between the loathsome Draco and her secret crush, Harry Potter. It annoyed her that Snape had manipulated the event so neatly as a way to have Harry be humiliated by Draco. That and to blatantly torture the poppenjay prat, Professor Lockhart. Of course Snape loved to torture people, it was how he kept Slytherin House under his heavy heel and everyone that takes Potions too afraid to question his unjust cruelty.

As per usual, the little lordling Draco the First was cheating. Though Harry was not backing down, and instead had the blond ponce laid out more than once in this mummer's farce Snape had arranged. She would be called a traitor or worse if it was known how deeply she loved her Harry more for his fighting on, and winning despite Snape's frequent interferences. So she had to not physically cheer her love on when Snape made him take center stage. She could crow in delight in the recesses of her mind at his turning this upside down for her foul Head of House.

Sharing a look with Tracey, her excitable silly cousin after one pass of spellfire that sent Draco careening over the audiences heads, she decided it was time to make her way closer to the stage. Jostling more than a few onlookers along the way till she was beside a muggleborn Hufflepuff boy.

The puffed up wizard glares at her from one glimpse of her Slytherin colors, but she ignored him. Her eyes were only for Harry.

Scrambling to his feet with a rictus snarl, Draco the Fey flings a secret spell that many Slytherins learn to show their loyalties and pureblood superiority. Draco's wand sprouts a giant hissing, highly poisonous, irritable snake. Showing off was all the Malfoy scion was good for as he held zero control it seemed over the venomous serpent, unlike a truly powerful spell caster.

Snape's sibilant offer to Harry is lost to Daphne's ears as people began to panic and shove their ways away from the stage when the idiot Lockhart zaps the snake weakly with a low powered stinging hex. Too bad it was strong enough to jolt the snake her way. Worsening this poor turn, the muggleborn wizard began to have a gibbering fit. Striving to drag the panic stricken dolt to safety she sees the snake rear its head for a strike.

That is when she heard the sweetest sound of her young life. In Parseltongue, her Harry commanded in a lordly hiss, $Leave him alone!$

The irrate snake at first collapses into contrite subservience, till the mean spirited hand of a cowardly cretin acted. At first Draco had tried to run alongside the rest of the terrified school, that is until he to heard his better's hissed command. Fear and open jealousy twisted his ferret shaped features into a mask of murderous hate. Taking quick aim when Harry was nearer to the conjured serpent, Draco snaps off a second stinging hex for his uncontrolled summons. By then the Hufflepuff was staring at Harry in mute accusatory horror, and clearly had lost the ability to think cognitively to make a run for it.

Understandable if highly annoying as the abused snake reared up once more.

$He told you to stop!$ Daphne hissed, leaving everybody gobsmacked and her in horror of discovery. Her Harry laughed as the snake collapsed again into servitude.

Harry's smile for her was making thought hard to put together as he hopped down from the stage. That dazzling grin left her knees weakening when he stood beside her above all others in the Great Hall.

$I guess we told it. Your Daphne right? It's nice to see I'm not the only one unafraid of a silly snake.$ his eyes, those perfect green pools of her fantasies, were so full of life as he hissed to her in Parseltongue.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

She shyly hissed with a smile, $I'm not alone anymore either.$

Draco was furious. He'd been bested completely, and she could see it in his eyes as he screamed, "They're the heirs of Slytherin. They're the ones trying to murder us all."

Snape regarded them for only a second as he drew his wand, suppressing a smirk, "Potter, Greengrass you will come with me."

Lockhart was gaping at them in a dim-witted stupor then with reflexive comb of his hair and wide bright smile curling his lips he announces, "Ah yes I knew this from the start. Thank you Severus for aiding me in the apprehension of these two dark souls. My cousin Deloras in the Ministry will be overjoyed in reporting my capture of the Heirs of Slytherin. Now young Mr. Potter, Miss Greengrass I will be having your wands. I warn you to not try anything untoward as I am a master at the muggle arts of Kung Fu and Karate. My hands are as lethal as my wand."

There were cries for Harry's head being screamed by the sheep in the audience turned mob. Ron Weasley was braying that it was her that brainwashed Harry and that she was the monster. Oddly Ginny Weasley was staring in silent horror for a time before fleeing with a book in hand.

Draco was crowing in victory as he sneered, "My father was right about you Potters."

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Harry turned to face the vile mob, moving himself into a protective stance before her. A warm loathsome light poured over her as she stood behind him. He was so noble, so beautiful and perfect. Here she knew she had won him.

Her love hissed softly for her. $Don't worry we're together. Two are stronger than one I've been told.$

 **/Be steadfast./**

Crying, she left him behind.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Jerking awake, Ginny cried out in horror at what she had done, and more importantly for whom she had did it for. Tom Riddle Jr., a.k.a. Lord Voldemort, had duped her into letting herself be used as an attempted murderess and bait for an ambush. All from her weakness and timidity in facing life and the love she held in her heart for Harry. Instead she had poured herself into a filthy diary of an evil wizard. Yes it would reply to anything she wrote of in its age yellowed pages, but it also grew to dominate her every moment. Till now.

She had been trapped and was being drained of her life force and soul by the younger memories of Lord Voldemort. Helplessly laying out like a virgin sacrificial maiden to the cruel Dark Lord and his deranged pet monster for the specific use of stealing her life so that he may return to life. When he returned the world would die, as would her love. Yet even though she mentally railed against this, she was physically unable to resist or put a stop to it.

Now though she was free. The memory of Tom Riddle Jr was no more than wispy ash and his abomination of a pet lay dead. Both vanquished by her love and hero Harry Potter. Unfortunately a grave cost was leveled in the offing. A mortal wound was her love's reward for his gallantry. Now it was he that had taken her place on the sacrificial alter to the vile machinations of the twisted designs of evil, but she was still powerless to help or fight.

"No..." she gasped in horror at what she had wrought for being a silly chit. "No, not Harry... He won. He saved me..."

Battling free of her stupefying self recrimination, she strove to make her weakened muscles move. To get their severely sapped strength to respond to her commands and no longer under the direction of her possessing invader.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Beside her was a pile of ash that shuffled and shivered. She was uncertain about seeing such a sight. Strange things in the magical world often as not held terrible surprises, just as her diary had held in store for her. With a violent shake a tiny hatchling of some sort appeared, still partly buried in ash. Relief that it wasn't another monster washed away some of Ginny's fright.

Returning to her wobbly quest to be at Harry's side, Ginny saw that he lay with a heavy labored breath rattling unevenly. On his chest lay a long vicious looking fang, impelled upon this terrible tooth was the Diary that started this whole horrible ordeal. Rivers of ink ran like blood out of its gash, over Harry as one of his hands held an iron grip on the fang. When he seemed to hear her near him, he weakly rolled to his side to face her. He was truly looking at her, and not as if she were some silly girl that she knew herself to be. A wanness to his features made his blossoming smile look off and unnatural. It could almost be called a death mask in some Greek tragedy than the face of a vibrantly alive wizard hero.

A condemning sight for her mounting guilt in all this. She had helped murder her champion and truest love. She had stole Harry's life more effectively than Riddle had attempted with her own. Though she did not want this turn of fate, it occurred and she could not hold in her tears of self loathing from realizing it.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Crawling over to her on unsteady newly alive legs, the ash covered chick cheeps at her demandingly. Pausing her struggle to reach her Harry, she looks at the cute ugly little thing in befuddlement. It definitely wanted something of her, but she was clueless as to what. Her mind hissed in demand of what would make its demands more important than Harry's life.

Her love saw it and took to coughing in laughter.

"Hello Fawkes. I'm glad the Killing Curse failed." her love wheezed with discolored phlegm leaking from his lips. Reaching a palsied hand out in her direction he begged, "Bring him to me, please. Bring Fawkes over-," he started to cough more violently, "please, Ginny. He's a phoenix, and... Gyarghhh it hurts! Please Gin..." His coughing fit had him writhing with his good hand clutching his other arm.

/ **The way back will come but once./**

Ginny felt warmth behind her. Turning to this new sensation, she saw an archway glowing invitingly. It was utterly alien to this place and scene.

Harry's coughing was spewing frothy blood filled phlegm in great sprays, "Gin... please... Ginny help..."

 **/The way back will come.../**

The arch was glowing so beautifully, while the tiny chick chirped so insistently.

/ **...but once. Be steadfast.** /

"Ginny help... I'm dying..." her beloved was wailing pitifully, begging her for her help.

The arch was flickering...

 **/...but once...** /

She was wailing too as she traitorously flung herself out the archway, cursing her betrayal of the boy who gave his all for her.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

How a single night could spiral so far downward, Hermione would never fully comprehend while she cried in aggrieved frustration. Though they had managed to save Harry's godfather from Dementors, it was only to hand him over to them anyway. Her best friend was justifiably distraught after all they had learned of the truth of the night his parents died. Endless quilting of lies had seen his godfather illegally arrested and imprisoned in Azkaban. Lies that could and should have been put to rest long ago were being neatly reaffirmed by the impossible but true aid of so many that they had trusted. It was criminal how deep the denial or cover up went.

With near tyrannical glee, the Minister of Magic had pompously decreed the summary execution of Sirius. At the bowler wearing despots side stood a victoriously sneering Snape whispering dark denouncements of the Potter and Black families.

Thankfully none of those seeking the end of Sirius Black had known or remembered that Hermione had one last weapon to make use of. Tucked hidden inside her blouse and jumper lay her time turner she'd been entrusted with to complete her ludicrously over scheduled class terms. With it they had one last chance to best these villainous rotters aligned against truth and justice.

So far her and Harry had successfully rescued Buckbeak, an innocent majestic hippogriff from the Ministry Headsman's ax. A coup as it were by how they made the blustering Minister himself think that the animal had simply broke free on its own under his fat arrogant befuddled nose. A victory worthy of capering in celebration as it spat in the eyes of the despicable Malfoy clan, whom were some of the prime instigators of this night's long list of travesties.

Only this one rescue had been the easy bit.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

That was an odd thought as it wasn't her own.

Sitting in wait of the next part of their daring plan, Hermione and Harry fell into a quiet conversation. They had done so many dangerous feats this night that a small rest was needful in calming their over stressed hearts. Side by side they had been dodging a werewolf professor, avoiding being spotted by their former selves, and escaping any of the hordes of nasty deaths awaiting the unwary in the depths of the Forbidden Forest. Some of those last were undoubtedly brutal and highly likely for two mere Third Years such as they.

This quiet calm center of the storm had her examining her green eyed compatriot. She had harbored a crush for him off and on through the last three years. She would deny it if asked, and even told herself that his returning the sentiment was a pure fantasy unworthy of her wasting away hoping for. She was a buck toothed book beaver to put it bluntly, and him...

Well he was a living adonis of unimaginable proportions. She was simply never going to be the kind of girl to be in the league he dwelled in. No she was safer putting her heart into hopes that the oft times uncouth Ron would see her even.

His glowing green eyes were studying her, it was frank and held a gleam of something undefinable. It was making her uncomfortable as she couldn't help but blush. The intensity was giving her heart a flutter.

"Hermione," he reached out to take her hand by only the fingers, but it felt as if he wished for more. "Do you know how much you mean to me?"

Did he know how much he meant to her?

His glorious eyes were holding her enraptured by their luminous perfection. "No..."

His hand lightly tugged at her fingers begging her to near him. When she yielded to his non-verbal request to slide from her perch on a twisted deadfall limb and next to his reclining side. Her heart was pounding wildly as he now took her hand in both of his. He was so gorgeous it hurt.

"I think I know what they said my father felt for my mother. Hermione, would you be angry if I told you..." he maddeningly fell silent.

Was this what she could never hope believe?

Her cherished best friend brought her hand to his lips for a kiss and asked, "Hermione would you ever care to see each other? I know you're out of my class. You're beautiful, gentle, sweet, wickedly more brilliant than I could ever dream of being, heart stoppingly beautiful... You're incredible compared to me, but I- but I've realized I can't face all that life holds without you next to me. People expect me to be things I could never hope or wish to be. You've always just wanted me to be me. I know I'm not smashing boyfriend material, but I'll always try to be worthy of you."

She wanted to squeal in delight as her heart soared to the heavens above. She even couldn't suppress the tiny giggle of girlish delight as it sunk in that he was begging to be her boyfriend. This was a chance at a life, though unsafe or guaranteed, like the ones she secretly dreamed of while swept up in her Jane Austen and other Victorian Romances.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

Pushing that invasive thought aside she shyly replied, "Yes Harry. I'd love to be your girl. If that's what you truly want. I'd love it really."

Sighing in relieved joy, he sat up to bring his face nearer to hers. With her breath coming in short little bursts, she leaned down to meet him halfway. One of his hands gingerly laid claim to the nape of her neck to draw her in. A touch that had her jump in ecstacy, he wanted and needed her enough to overcome his stiff resistance to physical interactions. He wanted her.

With a tiny smile of victory she let him guide her. She was in need of him and felt safe in being his witch- his and no other wizard's.

Barely grazing their lips together, an unwelcome and all to familiar chill fractured this tender moment. Laden with the stomach twisting scent of death and actively sucking all joy and life from the world, the cold gust washing over them banished cheer from her heart. All but the tiny flicker that fought on as she looked into the green eyes of her beloved below her.

"I think its time." Harry grimly stated as he sat up and tenderly pushed her aside. "Stay safe, I won't let them have you."

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

Be steadfast? How could she be steadfast when her love was about to do something noble to protect all those she loved? What of her love for him? He might love her and wish her safe, but she returned that sentiment. Sit and be steadfast while he faced danger? Never.

She would be steadfast. Steadfastly at his side.

Following him as best she could as he dashed away headlong, Hermione cursed how tired and out of shape she was. Her lovely newly minted boyfriend was leaving her far behind. If she lost him, he might do something stupid and get himself hurt horribly in the process. If he died...

She refused to follow that thought, aside from acknowledging she would die as well. He was an anchor in her life and not having him was as good as losing the ability to breath.

Leaping over some prickly underbrush, she fell and felt her ankle turn in an unnatural direction. Crying out in pain, she drew in her leg to hurriedly examen the damage. Doing so had her gasp in horror as she saw the worst sight of her young life. Hundreds of Dementors filled the sky, blacking out the moon and stars above. Her far too gallant Harry was apparently heedless of this fact as he never slowed his charge into this unimaginable fray. Her eyes followed him the entire way while he rushed out onto a small isthmus of land coated in ice from the presence of so many Dementors. Looking about frantically he stopped then turned to look her in the eye with disbelieving anger. Then as their eyes met in silent communication of boundless love, he smiled and turned to face the dark maelstrom seeking the life of his former self and godfather on the far shore.

Drawing his wand he roared like a mighty lion, "EXPECTO PATRONUM!"

Defiance and strength of conviction in his voice accompanied that spell aimed at the heart of that demonic storm. A bright stag burst from his wand and with it came so much power the frozen stiff grass and trees laid over in the pulsing waves. Every pulse erupting from her beloved wizard banished the fearful horde, any that attempted to flee in a direction other than his choosing were vaporized.

When he was done and slumping forward with his hands on his knees, he laughed, "I know now how deep I feel for you Hermione." He was almost giggling, "Thinking of you is what powered that. You're my hope for life."

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Though his power was incredible and shattered the Dementors, it was also not immeasurable as he fell to his knees with his back to her. Hermione was getting ready to drag herself to his side when an unwelcome guest slipped out from the shadows of the surrounding forest. His bald pate glistened slickly with sweat and his eyes were wild with unrequited hate. Peter Pettigrew was a craven coward to the core as he raised an ill gotten wand.

/ **The way back will come but once./**

An archway brimming with light behind her illuminated her world, highlighting the madness in the eyes of the betrayer of her love's family. His treachery was not from humble fear but pure desire for murder. He wanted them butchered!

Her Harry was defenseless!

"Avada..." the vile rat began to sneer.

 **/Be steadfast./**

She had her wand, but her best bet was to throw herself in the way. Her love needed her.

There was hope and then there was the arch full of light. She could save him one more time. Give him the long life she wished him to have.

/ **...once...** /

Tearfully she crawled back away and out the archway, as she did she heard the dreaded, "...Kedavra!"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Her mother loved to try new things, or old things made new. _"This thirst for discovery of what is unseen, Luna, is what makes true Ravenclaws special, and gives spice to our lives."_ was her mother's frequently spoken proverb for Luna as a standard for life.

It was always great fun, to be out with her mummy on days like this. The sun hung high and warm overhead with the breeze just cool enough to make the weather a calming balm to the anxious of heart. A perfect time to go out and experiment with what her brilliant forward thinking mother had uncovered clues of. If they found something of especial greatness or discovered an astounding truth of life, the family would regain back a measure of the reputation they once held before her great grandparents' day. Days long before the Lovegoods threw their lot into a crazed devotion of the cruel Raveness and her intellectual purging of magical society. It's what drove her father to work day and night on the liberally minded Quibbler for, and its call for open free thought in the secretively staid magical world.

"Now the Ancients that wrote this scroll claim that all of life is connected to a unifying force. This mighty force is what drives both fate and magic. Luna, do be a dear and stand over there by that tree. If this is the fundamental power of life, then it might be a touch dangerous to access." her mum smiled so sweetly in her often times distracted way as she commanded her faithful assistant daughter to go to a prudently safe distance.

"Okay mum. Do you think daddy would like to participate?" she inquired while skipping obediently from her mother's side, "He doesn't like us testing things without his help and planning. Remember mum what he told us last time."

"I know dear, but he's busy with finding advertisers for the Quibbler." her mother grew rather short with Luna, "He's made his decision about what matters most to him."

"How so mummy?" Luna inquired while sitting beside the tree her mum indicated earlier. "He says it's only to pay the bills. He tells me, _'Dreams don't feed us, Luna.'_ , shouldn't I remember what he teaches too?"

Frowning pensively, her mother ignored Luna's repeating her father's lectures.

Not wishing to be sent away like a bad little girl, she quickly apologized with tears in her eyes, "I'm sorry mum. I'll be quiet while you work."

"That's my good darling little assistant witch. You are paying much better attention these days I see. That is so exciting." confided her mother in a mollified tone, "Now let's get on with the fun we started before you're little rebellion. This is going to show the world how brilliant we two witches are, and give us untold changes in our lives. Won't that be smashing my little Luna?"

Clapping excitedly, she giggled, "Yes let's mummy!"

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

That was an odd thought, but Luna was used to having unfamiliar mental warnings.

Her mum was rereading the instructive text she had recently recovered from a muggle archeological dig in Wales. As the scroll her mum had recovered as an Unspeakable to protect the muggles was written by a witch from the era of the Roman Conquests, it had to be translated. A job her mother preferred to handle herself, and why not? If one has the tools to do a job themselves, why endanger a prized discovery by an intellectual thief.

Luna wasn't particularly gifted in ancient Greek like her parents. Her daddy was the best in the world at many of the lost languages of history but mummy never liked to let him read over her notes. So Luna hoped her mother was correct in what was written. It would be dreadfully embarrassing if they were reading something into what the original manuscript spoke of. Like when her daddy published a discussion on floating stones in lower East Asia from a noted adventurer wizard. Finding out it was throwing stones had hurt both her father's and the Quibblers credibility. A forced retraction article to keep his status as a member of the College of Rowena's Visionaries proved to be costly for the loss of valuable advertising space. He never printed without verification again.

Remembering this, Luna sat silently watching her wise mother at work. The care her mother went through to follow the specified rituals to harmonize with the natural power of the Earth was rather fascinating. Every move was building up a quiet resonance with the natural order in a gentle whispering hum in the air. This process sounded and looked daunting in its rather involved actual practice. A task too complex for a tiny little girl such as herself, though her mother was giving her reassuring smiles now and again. Those smiles made her genuinely wish to actively participate as it looked rather fun if her mum could smile from it.

While she watched another one of her secret visions overlapped her sight. With her mother chanting the suggested incantation during the involuted dance, Luna saw her mother's charred remains stare accusingly up at her.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Where is that thought coming from? Was this an advancing of her curse, the endless Visions her daddy fears and mother encourages?

Her mother began to laughingly sing an eerie ancient song of worship of the Spirit of Life. It was haunting as her mother's angelic voice swirled through the air, filling it with an electric charge. Touches of this sang with Luna's own soul, seductively calling for her to join her mother in opening herself to the hidden truths and energies of creation. A siren call that frightened her to the core.

That vision taunted her, causing her to worry about disturbing her mum. Two cardinal commands of assisting her mother warred within her terrified soul. Both were irrefutable and would wind up with her banned from these experiments till her mother felt her trustworthy again. That Luna wasn't a bad little disruptive miscreant unsuitable for the finer delving of what magic held secreted away from its practitioners.

One was the most stringently observed, _"Never interrupt me while I'm working, Luna my darling. Disastrous things may be unleashed if you are so careless."_

Its counter here though was equal in stringency for assisting her mother, _"My darling daughter, what is seen is a quick guide for us to be apprized of. If observed and reported immediately, course changes can be followed to protect what can be protected."_

A glowing arch stood off to the side, seeming to summon her to its blinding warmth.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

There it was again. It was a thought that stayed her hand and froze her tongue in concern. Consternation was teasing her with the thought that she was truly going mad as the Healers at St. Mungo's secretly told her parents when discussing her nighty night talks and rambles across the county.

She was sane. She knew it. She just lived in a different state of mind is all. That is what her mother and father insist, and she devoutly trusted them in all things.

She must help her mum. "Mum stop. Please stop." She broke down and begged her mother whom was now laughing scarily in her ancient dance as if this was boundless perfection.

Her mother was not stopping. In fact as the air grew more charged with this unknown and possibly unstable power, her mum became more ecstatic. Some of her mother's steps were not touching the ground as lightening erupted from below.

Frightened into tears Luna stepped hesitantly closer, sobbing out, "The Visions say you should stop mother. They insist you stop this now! Please stop. This is wrong mummy! Please listen to me mummy! Please...please..."

 **/The way back.../**

Luna felt the draw of the archway. It held truth and salvation.

/ **Be steadfast./**

Gazing with longing at her mother one last time, unable to reach her. Unable to save her like a good girl she so desperately wished to be, she witnessed her beloved mother work harder to delve deeper into the Power of Life. It was now burning the brilliant witch alive before her eyes. No words Luna could scream or things she could find to throw would stop this. Luna was a devilish, despicable girl and knew it if she didn't stop her mother somehow. A good loving daughter would do it. Would succeed and keep her family safe and whole.

Tearing out her hair she fled out the flickering arch as her mother's shrieks mixed with the insane laughter and thunderous detonations of lightening.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Will you look at that? So small and so perfect." her husband asked her as they held they're daughters. "Beautiful, just as beautiful as their mother." Harry glowingly smiled as he tenderly kissed her sweaty brow.

It had been a rough pregnancy and an even rougher delivery, though the conception bit was rather enjoyable.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

Parvati had to frown in worry as that floated past her. Just as she was feeling the euphoria of being her cherished Harry's wife. Of course his nobility had been a good part of that taking place as the two of them had gotten a bit too carried away their first night upon this world, this other Earth. But it was in no small portion influenced by her driving desire to be his wife that encouraged her to accept his proposal.

"What do you think of Lily and Lalena? For our mothers, and yes I know its only your mother's middle name. But it fits so prettily. A matching set of angels I think. They might never all meet, but- but they are here with them I think." he asked so lovingly, his perfect green eyes were alight with wonder as they were regarded in return by dual mirrors of like kind. Their daughters were a curious set.

Green eyed twins that held their parents' thumbs in tiny fists. Both were as dusky in skin tone as herself, but clearly favored their father's wiry inquisitive side. A startling pair to discover, and a true sign of the love the pair's parents bore. Tiny delicate flowers of a love that spanned two Earths and Ages. And one day the duo would be shattering hearts by the score.

Her own twin, Padma was smiling as she and a not so dull eyed Hermione cleaned up. Her sister was working as an apprentice for the local Wisdom of the minuscule mountain village of Devon Ride. Coming out of the Mountains of Mist, fleeing both Whitecloaks and Trollocs had led them to the Two Rivers. Led them here and left them with no idea how to ever return to that high valley and strange pillar.

Harry stood up straight and hugged Padma tightly while studiously keeping a spans distance from the wincing Hermione, "Thank you. If I lost... I won't lose anyone else."

He choked up as his eyes met Hermione's for a brief second or two. For just a fraction of time, their once vibrant brilliant friend was alight with life again herself. It was gone far too soon, but it was there and gave them all hope.

It was understandable when his own eyes lost some luster at Hermione's return to frightened dullardry. Those memories of that harrowing flight across the mountains would haunt not only poor Granger, but all of them forevermore. Neville and Tracey had been feathered by arrows fired from so called Children of the Light. Ginny and Daphne had been lost to such a villainous rain from Trollocs. It was swords that took Blaise, George, and Alicia. Trolloc for the first, Fade for the second, and white robed bigot for the last. Angelina fell to a catch pole by a ravenous Trolloc and Fred torn limb from limb by its mates. And after the brutal gang rape by Whitecloaks that had came to rescue them, Hermione might as well be dead herself by the endless horror replaying in her eyes and mind. Coming to this world had not been the hoped for salvation, but an extended nightmare made real.

But with all life comes the dark and the good. Staring down at their daughters confirmed this. In these two bundles of joy was life, and a renewed hope.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

Again it came and with it a strange alien feeling in the back of her mind. But it was gone when Harry grabbed his scar again. It had been getting worse of late. With it came signs of accidental magic that was growing in magnitude and intensity. They suspected and feared the root cause. Harry has been struck by the dreaded Taint. Slytherin's doom was now her Harry's doom as well. No one spoke of it, but all of them knew- including the now weeping Hermione- that Harry was not long for this life either.

"I... I'll go... get some bloody... get some firewood." Harry tried to play it off as he turned slowly on unsteady feet to leave. Only he was stopped cold as he grabbed his scar and collapsed in a heap. His thrice cursed scar had ripped open and was now spewing forth sulphurous putrefied blood and gangrenous puss.

Hermione wailed and grabbed her head in both hands in a silent scream of pure agony. Padma was torn on whom to run to first, Harry or Hermione as he would wish her to do. Weakly Parvati sat down her newborn babies to go to her love's side. Only she could barely move about herself. Her legs and body had precious little left in them after the lengthy and arduous birthing. Parvati had been in labor for close to a full day before her girls were delivered. But some struggles are worth it.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

An arch of blinding light appeared in place of their bedroom door. An inviting golden light harkening to her while her sweet loving husband lay dying in a writhing heap.

If he passed, could she find the strength enough for her daughters' and family's sake?

Crawling to her man took extreme effort, and she noticed blood trailed from between her thighs and down her legs. Not a good sign, but she didn't care for her own well being when her love lay only a few feet away, screaming in possibly his final moments. She was exhausted and depleted after they had struggled through building their rugged new life. Though pregnant she refused to allow her husband and sister bear the brunt of this mountain farming lifestyle forced on them. Though Harry was a good provider that toiled daily to give them all the best home he could, they were never at their leisure. Her pregnancy, Padma's apprenticeship funds, and poor Hermione's shattered state had him working from predawn to well after sunset to feed, clothe, and shelter them all.

Crashing to the floor on weakened trembling arms, Parvati began to weep and curse her abominable weakness. It was her time to be strong for her Harry and the girls. To be the one to see Hermione fed and free of the night terrors. To see that Padma can pay her way till she can be raised to Wisdom of some nearby township. Parvati must be the one to take over being the foundation stone of their family.

Only this life was wrong. She felt it humming through out her whole being.

Wrenching her eyes from her dying husband, Parvati gazes at the seductive, alien archway calling her. It was real. It was important.

/ **The way back will come but once./**

Her darling perfect pair of newborn twins were crying.

Leaving the cowering side of the screaming Hermione to see to Harry, Padma was yelling at her, "Par, Get back in bed this instant! You shouldn't be up. I can handle helping Harry, but if I have to fight you as well as him and Hermione."

/ **The way back../**

She felt so wrong, and yet so right here.

Her Harry was reaching out to her with a grimace of unbearable pain, sobbing through his clinched teeth, "Par! My love... I need- I need you to stay strong. Our daughters Par," He was weeping blood out from his eyes, snot was hanging from his nose in a blood tinged mess, "Par, our babies- think of them and not me. Forget me. They need you Par."

Hermione was scrambling for the knife Harry keeps in his belt. She mustn't have it or she may well succeed in taking her life this time. The twins were bawling inconsolably.

The archway was urgently calling her as its light flickered and dimmed.

 **/Be steadfast./**

Her sister and family insisted she return to bed or stop poor Hermione.

The archway was slowly fading in its call to her.

She made her choice screaming in outrage as she flung herself into her decision.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Falling out of the Arches, Parvati wanted nothing more than to curl up into a ball and scream. Her family! Her husband and daughters! Why did she have to leave them? This world felt right, but so too did that other in ways.

"I'm EVIL! They needed me!" she sobbed out through gnashing teeth, tears were puddling on the floor beneath her, "Light forgive me. Please forgive me..."

The hissing swish of skirts and slippers announced the coming of women to Parvati's side. She had little strength or inclination to look up just then at whom this might be. In truth she could care less who it was. All she saw or heard was the agonizing anguish of her Harry and the perfect little forms of their girls wailing in need. Then she felt the chilly rush of cold water washing her in a cool steady rinsing. It sent shivers down her exposed back as it ran down the trough of her spinal column.

 **/You are washed clean," Elaida pronounced, "of what sin you may have done, and those done against you. You come to us washed clean and pure, in heart and soul."/**

Raising her head in hope, even as she wanted to tear out her own heart and hurl it back to her children, Parvati saw that she was at the feet of Elaida and a kindly smiling Sheriam Sedai. She was being tested. This was what had to be faced and finished before she became an Aes Sedai and returned to her true home.

"Is that real? Was it true?" she begged for an answer but unsure what one she wished to hear. If she heard one at all.

Sheriam Sedai helped her to her feet with a gentle embrace, "I don't know. No one alive does. Though every woman seems to ask that self same set of questions. Some are said to have chosen to stay instead of returning because it is real. If they do then it's good riddance as they are shirkers, and we who've came back have no reason to accept them back if they could ever return. We have great responsibilities and no room for those that baulk in facing them."

"It felt real, but not. Or that I was the intruder. That's what decided me. That I must become Aes Sedai and nothing less will do. Even what I left behind there. Oh Sheriam Sedai it hurt. I... I can't describe it." Parvati whimpered but grew determined, "But staying wouldn't help those I love or can help here. Staying would have been selfish."

"That is what I feel child." Sheriam smiled on her fondly and gave her a rough encouraging hug, "You child have the right of it."

Wiping away her tears Parvati controlled her breathing and focused her recalcitrant mind. Harry wouldn't want a girl who was unwilling to stand strong as his own mother had. To stand up to the darkness and evil that fills the world even if it cost her very life to do so. No, Harry would only want a woman of character, strength, and honor. She too would want nothing less in herself. Aes Sedai had all these traits, but more than that they could be able to aid him in his quest to save their home world. She would be able to reshape their world into one that they could feel safe in having and raising children in.

A husband could not change the world alone and some broken things only a woman could be trusted in seeing set right. She would be that woman, just as their mothers had been.

Leading her to the next arch, Sheriam gently guided Parvati by an arm around her shoulder, "You are growing child. That is good. You have great potential."

"I have no choice but to grow. There is much to do and a Novice can never do them. It takes a woman, not a girl." Parvati replied, building her courage up to face the next task, what ever it may be.

"I must ask," Sheriam Sedai spoke as they/ **stopped** **in front of the next glow filled arch, "Are you ready?"/**

Setting her shoulders and holding her head up high with a tiny shake, Parvati gazed into the portal with dread and determination, "I am."

/ **"The second time is for what is. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."/**

Fighting down her fear once more, Parvati strode into the all encompassing glow.


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

/= **Excerpt**

$= Parseltongue

 **Chapter Twenty One: All That I'm Living For**

Smoothing down her simple dress, Hermione took some deep calming breaths. Harry's final treatment was being decided upon at this very moment. Nothing that the Aes Sedai had done thus far had worked. They claimed it was resisting them in some unseen way, as if it was tethered to Harry purposely.

The biggest questions were if it was the soul fragment that did this or the hand of another. If the latter they were more interested in who had done it, more than the how of fixing it. If the former, then it was worrisome that the soul shard was changing Harry. Could it be that it was altering Harry to make him into a suitable home for it to take over?

Sadly all of this was being kept from her love by order of the Hall and Amyrlin. He was to remain oblivious to any and everything related to his condition. In Hermione's mind it meant they had given up hope of saving her love and were now interested in studying him alone. Harry was an odd lab rat that could and would be used to test theories on. Theories all directed at destroying male channelors more effectively.

Hermione fought not to gnash her teeth as she thought, "Well at least Dumbledore would be so proud to see his work continued in the Third Age." She had long since given up on most any love in her heart for the old man that seemed to be more interested in playing with the lives of children than being a trust worthy headmaster.

Thinking of that old fraud was not what had spurred on the Hogwarts girls to all position themselves to stage a daring rescue. And hopefully if that succeeded an escape from the White Tower before Harry could be gentled. Each of them had seen and spent time with Logain, unavoidably being confronted with how it was destroying the man to be severed from the One Power utterly. This was not like spaying or neutering a pet, this was a slow act of murder. They realized there was nothing for it, they must escape with their wizards and make their ways back to that secluded mountain valley hiding that pillar, or they sit here and witness all their boys be murdered in some form or fashion. From that valley or Slytherin's Chamber of Secrets, they would find a way to rescue their boys. This would turn this journey into a failure in many ways, but their men would not be stolen from them.

Checking for trouble coming from either direction, she resisted the impulse to embrace Saidar. If she did, any passing Aes Sedai would sense it and intervene. This most assuredly would put paid to this already dangerous game they were playing for the sakes of their men. Better to avoid that at all costs for now.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

Hesitating at that, Hermione tried to understand why that was important.

Shaking it off, she sees the Hall of the Tower open with Warders and their Aes Sedai surrounding Harry. She could sense the One Power. They had him shielded and maybe even held in bonds of Air. By the number of Sisters, she knew in a chilling certainty what had been decided. Twelve Sitters of the Hall plus the Amyrlin Seat, a telling number.

Her Harry was to be gentled.

Catching the eye of Daphne and Tracey, Hermione moved with her friends. This had been anticipated. It was well past time to escape and flee this mad house cruel world. They should have left long ago. Staying had been clearly the wrong choice now in hindsight, but they all had hoped to have him Healed and they learn all of the secrets of the Aes Sedai. Neither had occurred, and now they were about to have to fight their way out of the mighty White Tower. It was highly unlikely that would go well for them.

Preparing their minds the girls gathered to their preselected points in preparation for this coming battle. Nine was not as powerful as scads of full circles of thirteen now linking around them. Some of these were host to highly skilled and powerful witches, which in turn spelled the likely doom of their rescue of Harry.

Slowly joining them were the four other boys. Wands at the ready alongside blades, or maces as the case may be. If one fell, they all fell as they had no other choice.

Out under the bright sun, the group surrounding Harry began to prepare for the ritualized destruction of the innate ability in Harry to channel alongside what lay inside the soul shard. Even in this dire strait and at this distance, he found her to send her a loving smile of encouragement. She knew he was saying goodbye and to run, but she either lived at his side or not at all. Warmth suffused her flesh at his radiant love for her, just as her heart grew immeasurably colder for the thought that this was like as not their final hours alive.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Why was that interrupting her mental preparations? She had too important of a mission to concentrate on to be hallucinating. A thought amplified by the arrival of an inexplicable glowing arch across from her in the courtyard that was used for these sort of events. It beckoned Hermione to come to it. But on this side was her Harry standing defiantly against the women and men who dared hold him captive. His shining nobility of character was cowing some, but enraging quite a few others. Men were expected to cower and simper before the might and power of the White Tower, not defy its right to do as it pleased with the lives of others.

"Who is brought before all and into the light?" Elaida demanded with a slightly victorious sneer leveled Harry's way. Its smugness galled Hermione as she knew the woman would run in terror if her Harry was unleashed for but a second.

The Amyrlin Seat boomed back in reply, "A lamb lost be the acts of others and the Pattern. To mend his soul we must cleanse him of his grave faults."

Hot eyed and grieving, Ginny tore out across the courtyard towards Harry, embracing Saidar on the way, "NO! You can't do this. It's wrong! You're all wrong!"

A tall lanky Warder dashed over to block and remove the distraught girl only to be flung high and away by a burst of the One Power her fiery friend let loose. Cursing how this was falling apart quickly, Hermione tried to embrace Saidar herself. She prayed she could attempt a linked circle of all the other Hogwarts girls quickly and possibly rescue both Harry and Ginny now. However Galad, the cold hearted self righteous princeling of Andor had drawn his sword and was running out to cut down the now embattled Ginny, whom was actually holding her own against a full circle of Aes Sedai. How noble of the prat to attack a lone distraught girl from behind while Harry could not intervene in some way, Hermione thought.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

Fighting is breaking out all over the once solemn White Tower as Blaise stops Galad's assassination of Ginny with a snarl of disgust. Warders and Tower Guards are converging on the courtyard and may put paid to the lithe Slytherin and Ginny, except Neville meets them with his twirling short pole ax and explosions of Saidin. Cackling in mad delight Fred and George are anarchy made flesh in the midst of all this from hurled fireworks, potions, Saidin, and any other nasty little surprises they've been secreting away. Faced with four wizards and one blood crazed witch of immense power the Aes Sedai lose focus on Harry.

Hermione attempts to gather her friends into a cohesive fighting force but is spun bodily away from things by a young sycophant of Galad's gauntleted backhand. Dazed for a moment she watches in mute horror as Harry tears across the court to protect his many lovers and friends only some Tower Guardsmen feather him with a rain of arrows as he tries to join Ginny's side.

Her other witch friends are desperately working as individuals to help their embattled compatriots but in doing so the Aes Sedai return favor with barrages of the One Power focused solely on ending the Hogwarts band one and all. Woozily she tries to stand and hurl her own might into the fray only to be shunted aside by the flight of horrified Novices.

Keening in unfathomable loss Ginny scrambles to Harry's side, with her focus shifted the Tower's soldiers pour a deadly rain of arrows down on her. One catches the distraught red head in the throat, cutting short her screams of agony and her young life. Neville, seeing some Tower Guard beating a Shielded Padma, roars like a lion and charges, at first he is successful in banishing the troops but five Warders soon pounce and cut him down.

/ **The way back.../**

Death is taking her friends. But she is now so far away from them she is of no direct use. That unreal arch is fading from sight near her as well.

 **/Be steadfast./**

Hurling herself out through the arch Hermione still sees Ginny's dying face, accusing her.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fighting in the streets was still going on but that made little difference. The White Tower had crumbled into dust hours earlier and it was every witch for herself. A coup had taken place, and Elaida was working to consolidate her power. That included the murder of any that resisted her ill gotten ascension to the throne. Yet they still resisted.

Parvati was proud to count herself one of those to resist this travesty. She knew that to let Elaida win was to allow the Darkness to reign supreme over the world and this crumbling Third Age. But in resisting she was to be hunted down, and most likely butchered as so many of her allies had this disastrous day. A price she'd pay but not before giving better than she got.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

Scrambling over some rubble, tearing her dress even more than it was, she anxiously sought those she loved. Together they were stronger than if they were apart. But they had been so strung out across the Tower going about their duties when the break occurred that finding the rest of the Hogwarts lot was problematic.

Her mind tried to tell her to run and wait to find them later. She pushed that down into the same hole she chucked her reasons to stop resisting Elaida's villainous revolution. This was not a time to be a craven but to be a warrior witch of old. Dying was only one step on the Pattern, cowardice though was a sin that never leaves a soul unstained.

Peering over the wreckage, Parvati saw her sister and Neville. Joy blossomed in her heart at the sight till she noticed that both were gravely wounded, and were cradling a third slightly hidden form. Fear clutched at her middle as she took hold of some of the mangled debris from the unleashing of the One Power that took place earlier. The Three Oaths only seemed to keep such use from being direct, turning a nearby building to rubble that just happens to crush one's foes was apparently well with in bounds. A fact that had turned unbreakable Tar Valon into a shattered ruin. With a sufficient grip, she hoisted herself up higher, pulling herself to where she could clamor over the wrecked walls of what once was the Kitchens. Once over and up she scrambled across the rubble spider like to her sister and would be brother in-law. Appalled at all the rivulets of blood pooling under the pair and their still hidden third, Parvati wished she was even a fraction gifted with Healing. She was more a weapon like her wizard than angel of the butcher's yard.

"What happened?" she demanded sharply, then vomited off to the side as she now saw their mangled third party's identity. In their weeping embrace were the shredded remains of Luna, whom had been eviscerated by a sword blow.

Weakly Padma wheezed, "Younglings. They... they support..."

"Blighted rotters swore allegiance to the Red Hag. Cut us down when we were aiding some Blues." Neville raged with tears streaming down his dirty cheeks. His left arm was severed at the elbow but was cauterized by the looks of it. He bore numerous other blade cuts and slashes that crisscrossed his body's length alongside where crushing impacts of some sort bruised the rest.

He lightly touched Luna's limp body with his stump, "Harry is going to kill the lot. He swore he'd use anything he could to see this place a memory. Ginny and Daphne are with him, all three were sure you too were dead along with.." pain filled his gentle eyes, "and watching Luna's death seemed to break them. If not for Pads..." He trailed off, she could see all to well that her brighter iron willed sister was not going to last long. Elaida's New Tower was going to join her and Luna if Parvati had any say.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

A roar and series of thunderous explosions shook the already unstable island city, loosening rubble enough to reveal a brown head of bushy hair without a body to match. Parvati's hate was spiking as she fought down her stomach's wish to empty itself once more. Her emotional downward spiral sped up when she heard Harry's grief stricken voice boom across all Tar Valon, "I will end it now! All of you will die by my hand! They were children! They were MY LOVES!"

Padma was coughing and wheezing with a large stone that had dislodged from above to fall on top of her. The sickening sight of her twin half crushed as she were tried to unhinge her.

Neville had let go of the lifeless Luna to try and lift this killing boulder from his love. "Par, help me! She's dying!"

Beyond him she dazedly noticed an archway bursting with a warm light.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Crunching of rocks and the sneering voice of a woman giving orders cut through her stupor, "Remember you lot of miserable apes. We'll capture that brat and his two tarts to be used as examples. Elaida rules Tar Valon and that means the Red Ajah rules the world."

They needed her to protect them, to help them. Her family and love depended on her.

Luna, her precious Luna laid like a forgotten doll, sightlessly begging her to do what was right and to avenge her. Her dear twin was gasping her final breaths in life with a sobbing Neville at her side. Harry was dismantling the ancient city stone by stone. Her beloved Hermione was butchered and should be seen to. These were things Parvati should do as a witch worthy of the name. She was not a coward.

The arch burned bright in her eyes, but she ached to right these wrongs.

/ **Be steadfast./**

She leapt through the accursed archway and its condemning refuge. She prayed she was doing the right thing. She prayed she could one day forgive herself.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Fish jumped and swam beneath the surface of the garden's lovely little Ogier crafted pool. It was so natural here that none would suspect it of being fashioned by mortal hands and not the Creator. Evening was drawing near which would carry the call for curfew of all postulants, but this was a special moment. This was the happiest Luna had ever been, and would remain so. Though few could see the wellspring of love that bubbled up between them, her and her newly bonded Warder were burning bright by it. Fore not only was he her newly bound Warder, but also her fiancé as of mere moments earlier when he'd proposed and she'd answered with a kiss and bonding during their embrace.

She now knew she was not fated to forever be a rejected outcast. To be scorned and forever left alone as the mad little nutter witch so many see her as. The bad girl none spoke of.

Shivering at these gloomy ponderings, she gazed down at the silvery red darts of the pools fish. Her wizard's concern and care caressed her inner being in support. He knew and loved her better than any other person alive or dead. He was her other half.

Side by side a respectable five feet of proper separation hung in the physical realm, but in the metaphysical there was no gap. They were awash with boundless love and easily shared it through their bond to show it secretly to none but each other. To any that would glimpse them in passing, they were not a pair and that had to remain in place for the now. It was an unfortunate truth of their positions at Tar Valon. She was merely an Accepted and he was technically her near sister Parvati's betrothed. Thus her treasured love and her must not be seen crossing this forbidding five feet, for to do so would bring rejection by those they treasure and exile from the Tower.

Their taboo love must never be expressed, but that would never sunder their hearts.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

That alien warning froze her soul. It only brought condemnation and suffering, though she didn't know how she knew this.

"A nice evening isn't it." he lamely asked her though he still was flush with the heat of their lone illicit kiss. Her own face was glowing hot in the nights cooling calm, she rather enjoyed the sensations that he filled her with in that brief forgetting of themselves.

"Yes it is." her body hummed with the hunger to shatter this imposing barrier of propriety and honor and never let it return to their lives. "I've not seen a wrackspurt at all tonight."

Truth was she was a wicked little minx to steal her beloved Parvati's man. Yet he chose her. He saw her worthy of his love and the hopes that they could make a life together. She wasn't a dirty insane bothersome waif, but a creature of fire and passion that he too hungered for. They were a single solitary unit bound by love. She was worthy of love she saw in his eyes and in their bond.

He just smiled impishly, but her eyes and heart told her how much more he was saying. In the light glimmer of his endlessly green pools was the declaration of his desire to also cast aside that five feet of air separating them. His ardor was a torrent that gusted and tugged at her own in a mutual storm that neither should let loose just yet.

He was hers. Her Warder alone! Hear her universe, Harry Potter was her wizard alone, as she was his lone witch. Luna Lovegood was a witch to be treasured and cherished.

Slowly cracking his neck he passes her, his hand strayed past the boundaries imposed on them. Though only a grazing brush of her waist it sent jolting shockwaves surging through her in his sending her how much he desired for more. It felt delicious to her. If only they were free. If only they knew they would not hurt those they cared for but were not be apart of this.

If only the Wheel was not cruel.

He paused and stayed so near she felt giddy from the scent and warmth of him. "Luna, I need you. I need us..."

His presence and hunger set her cheeks afire as she was forced to hiccup in her breath to still her hammering dancing heart.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Burn being steadfast and all the rest! She was a loved witch. Loved.

A flash of light split the air on one end of the tiny graceful bridge spanning the quiet garden. Beyond the hole it opened up to was rolling farmland and a gurgling brook. Her Warder jumped with surprise as he took her hand, "I- I'm doing this!"

Her hand in his was making her head decidedly spin as she stared in awe. There was hope beyond that portal into the unknown.

A feeling not hers alone as her love took her other hand in excited joy, "This is our chance. Luna, its our way out. Our way to live as we dream it to be."

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

She saw out of the corner of her eye an archway glowing with the promise of a different uncertain life. A life in a different world and the all to real possibility of being forgotten or shunted away in derision. A fate she feared was her just due. There was hope for a glorious life beyond all imaginings, but Harry's gate into the unknown assuredly held it.

He took her in his whipcord hard arms with delicate tenderness to kiss her with such passion that sense and thought at all became vaporous abstractions. She was indeed addicted to this dizziness he'd leave her in.

"Come my Moonlight. We have our path of dreams laid out waiting for us. We can live as we ourselves please. No more pain or loss." he held her close, kissing her brow before pulling away to stand as a porter showing her the way to salvation and glory. His beckoning bow was leggy and goofy, but oh so brilliant., "Our lives await milady."

/ **The way back will come but once./**

She hungered for this like nothing else in her life. However she saw the light of the other way. Beyond it lay most likely her eternal condemnation as a lone freak unworthy a knut's time. Then again she knew she had duties far greater than herself. She only wished she may have a chance to se Harry and Parvati smile on her with tenderness.

It's all a wicked thing like her could hope for.

Turning she dragged her feet reluctantly to the arch of uncertainty, running eventually as her love cried out ,"LUNA!"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"At least there is no bloody great snake down here with us." Harry's self-deprecating laughter clung as thick in the air as the unholy muck that gripped their feet below. His leading them out of Tar Valon via the sewers was not a happy turn of the Wheel.

There was no alternative for it as there was civil war raging above, and the Hogwarts band and a few others were escaping the calamity that ensued of Sister versus Sister warfare. Three Oaths were an ephemeral abstraction, the two factions were not shying away from finding ways around using the One Power to butcher the other side. Being caught up in that would only end poorly for the teen sojourners to this mirror Earth.

For Ginny's part she was having difficulty enjoying her love's gallows humor but let herself laugh in spite of this to try and see some light to this tragedy. This was an unimaginable catastrophic event and she should be up there helping the loyalists in defending the Amyrlin and the rule of law. Her unmeasured strength in Saidar being brought to bear in laying waste to those that sought to harm the Mother and others for the petty selfish designs of a wicked cow.

Hermione, her best friend, rival for Harry, and so much more was a pace behind her holding aloft a ball of light that only those of their group could see by, sighed in disbelief. "Brilliant. He begins to laugh again now?"

Others were muttering their agreement.

Deeper and deeper they had slogged. Down and away they struggled on. Down amongst the hidden river of muckish filth of the island city. Noxious fumes and viscous non-mud had all of the group near to vomiting. But there were no blades drawing forth their life fluids down here.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Staggered by that she catches herself on the wall by a quickly cast out hand. Sadly at some point there had been a high point to the unwholesome river that now left a caking of the unspeakable upon her balancing appendage. Disgust was justified she felt.

Thick gloppy pools of excrement made it a trick to keep pressing on. Each slorping plop was a foot step, some included sulphurous curses as skirts dragged a girl down into the nastiness. Yet Harry had to keep them at this, until now.

"Stop... take a moment. We've came a long way I wager." he commanded and she may have kissed him if she had the energy to fight her way to his side. That and the brain fogging scents down here killed any mood she may have for amour.

"Merlin I never want to live in a city again if this is what lay below." said Tracey, leaning heavily on Blaise's arm.

"Sewers aren't all that bad if they keep us safe. Better here than up there dying." he panted, gagging violently now and again. "Though I'm fully planning on burning these clothes. I bloody well doubt they could be cleaned sufficient enough to not smell as unholy as they do right now."

His eyes caught hers as he grinned tiredly just for her. He'd confessed he did the same with the school robes he wore in the false Chamber of Secrets.

Back up the ways, a slight undefinable noise was coming. With all the rest going on she could have missed it if not for her holding her breath in her flutter at his gaze.

Losing it in the return of her own heavy laden breathing, she ignored thinking on that mystery. To get more air into her sorely put lungs Ginny gazed up at the stones above. Even in the unseen belly of the city of the Aes Sedai, the Ogier stone masons had made it beautiful. It was mind twisting to ever consider such an unwholesome local as this as beautiful.

"Okay you lot lets go at it again. We're not safe till we're out and far, far away." Harry roused them to get walking once more after a scant few minutes, if that.

The strange noise was getting louder.

It worried her enough that she decided to speak up, "Does anybody hear that?"

"HEAR WHAT?" Blaise half yelled from his hearing becoming wonky after a chance blow to the head from some soldiers guarding the entry to the sewers.

"A NOISE!" Tracey teased her wizard mischievously.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

That statement meant something to her. But whatever it was had slipped away from her. However the noise was growing more and more powerful. It sounded like a true river, one that was wild and untamed by man. A terrible thing was occurring!

"We need to make a run for it." Harry bellowed over the torrential terrible noise.

Panic was setting in, they were in terrible trouble.

Plodding as fast as they could through the viscous non-mud, they all had abandoned reason. It was a wild primal dash to some sort of safety. Survival instincts were ruthlessly flogging them to go on, to escape into freedom or captivity, as long as it wasn't this unseen death hunting them.

Roaring water began to rush underfoot, making any footing perilous. And it indeed proved too much for Ginny and Hermione who found themselves swept away down a side tunnel. Grabbing hold of each other in terror of drowning and worse, they tried to fight being washed farther away. To lose each other in this would mean they were lost to everything and everyone. It was a subconscious drive to not face one's end alone.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

"Hang on Hermione! I see a ladder way!" Ginny screamed over the roaring water.

"One of us has to grab hold of it!" her friend cried out in affirmation only to choke on the filthy water dragging them to their dooms, "Embra-!" Hermione's mouth filled even more with the dark rushing waste water.

Watching her friend gag and start to struggle from drowning under all this untamably raging current, Ginny hung on tighter to save the older girl. Being hurled away from the ancient metal rods sunk into the stone, she battles to drag Hermione behind her as she swims with all her might to catch a hold.

Striving to also keep her best friend afloat in all this, she fought on with every ounce of will and might her being held stored inside her. It would just take finesse, and an inordinately large dose of luck. She'd have only one shot she wagered. Reaching out, Ginny feels the tug of the current pulling her away from the salvation of the ladder.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

That almost made her miss her chance, but she was quick and managed to make one last snatching grab at her and Hermione's only hope of life. All she caught was the bottom most rusty rung, but she had it nonetheless. Though a shrieking creak of metal was alarming.

"Blimey, Hermione, you have to help me!" she wailed at her coughing and spluttering friend.

Beyond the bushy brunet was a massive falls and out in the middle of it an archway glowing serenely. It was so beautiful and so deadly.

Groaning and shrieking of the ancient ladder rung frightened Ginny, "Come on you! Come on Hermione, help me! I can't do this alone." she cried out to her semi-conscious friend. She felt as if she were being torn in two by her grip on the rung and the current yanking on her beloved near sister. Her arms were so tired from the flight and the wild desperate swim against this demonic current. So very tired.

/ **Be steadfast./**

With a scream of feral rage and anguish she lets go. They flew towards the falls but she can't keep hold of her friend and they begin to be drawn away. There was the arch and salvation, but her friend needed her. With a wail she started to swim and as she was carried to the light she lost sight of her greatest friend in life as the girl was swept off into the torrent and falls. The last sound she caught was the girl's last screams.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Out among the trees of the Ogier Grove, Daphne was playing with her love and maybe soon to be Warder. His long wild black mane and emerald green eyes kept sweeping back and forth as he searched for her. However she kept erasing her tracks with a swish of the One Power. Yet he kept getting close to finding her nonetheless.

Harry hissed out playfully, $Come out, come out my little snake. I know you're out here. Come out and play with me.$

She laughed and made to run when he was suddenly right there, $ You can't catch me.$ Her own hissed joy was accompanied with her picking up her skirts and making a run for it.

A valiant effort but he was by far quicker, or maybe she just wished to be caught more. What ever it was he had her and had pinned her against a tree. Not letting an opportunity get away from her she pulled him in for a snogging that left her legs lose the will to stand. Her arms hung hold of him in need of his strength in staying erect. She let out a squeak of shock as his rock hard hands took custody of her bum, forming an ever so convenient seat she availed herself of.

This was dangerous as they could be severely disciplined, but then again they were young and in love. He had confessed his love for her before, but now he had let her corner him into confessing that he wanted her as his wife. She had him, and under these ancient trees she planned to bond him this very night. She may even let this go on beyond propriety to have him fully hers alone. Even if they were kicked out of Tar Valon, she wanted this.

$Daphne, why could we not have found each other before now?$ he hissed into her ear in passing as his mouth nibbled her ear and neck so hungrily she had to moan.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

That and his question shook her world. Hesitantly she answered truthfully, $I was scared. If you rejected me out of hand because of my House I'd have died of shame. I'd also become a large target for the Big Bat and his little White Ferret. Can you forgive me?$

He kissed her and made his nibbling way to her exposed throat, $You're right. I was too interested in being an ignorant git to see a wonderful witch, and not just some enemy Snake. I had to grow up.$ His hissing lips had her seeing stars.

Moaning in delight she unlaced her collar encourage him in exploring further, she threw her head back in mounting ecstacy. Her hissing was coming in breathy pants, $We... Merlin have mercy... Light Harry... We had to... oh yes Harry... so good... We bloody well both had to grow...UP!$

Frustratingly he paused his quest of discovering her secret spots to hiss softly into her now partly exposed shoulder, $We've done that now.$ It came out in such a sigh of pain he seemed to lean heavier into her for support, $How much did I miss out on by just living as Ron's best mate and Dumbledore's trained monkey?$

She realized that she was truly the rock of his existence as he clutched her tight, soothing his hair she'd been gripping violently just seconds ago, Daphne hissed into his ear, $Let's not dwell on that. We're safe and free. They don't control or dictate our lives now. They would never understand us and I don't ever care to explain it to them. Beloved... I'm yours for the taking... I'll never be anything but yours.$

He looked sharply up into her eyes in stunned hope, $You want... Me?$

Shyly all she could do was nod with a fiery blush scorching her cheeks while biting her lips in hope he didn't reject her. Twinning her fingers back among his wild locks she begged him with her eyes to be hers in all ways.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

There it was again like a bothersome gnat. She had her love in her arms, she couldn't let stray thoughts steal this from her.

Booted feet and clomping hooves mixed with the sound of a startled night bird.

$What was-?$ she began to hiss only to be silenced by his hard hand covering her mouth.

$Mr. Pickles' friends and family.$ he hissed softly in warning, $Be ready to run for help when I tell you. I don't know how they got in but the White Tower must not fall.$

$No Harry come with me. You can't face them all on your own. You don't have to be noble for me, I need you to much for that.$ she begged him in a hiss.

$It is as it is. It's time I Danced with Jac of the Shadows. I love you Daphne, remember that.$ he hissed with a quick kiss while setting her down. Drawing his weapons he looked the part of a warrior wizard of old, $I do this out of love for you. My life for yours.$

$But if we go together...?$ she tried one more time touching his chest in dread of losing him.

He smiled sadly, $Someone has to slow their arrival. If we go together they might catch us both, and if you... Daphne this is what I'm trained for. I can't let them have you.$ he hissed as he stole one quick kiss that left tears burning her eyes and cheeks. When she baulked he gave her a push to start running, ending any further debating this.

Stumbling a little from her distress she nonetheless started to run. Hiking her skirts up high and pelting through the once peaceful trees. Her love followed for a time to keep off any pursuit, but not the whole way as she prayed he might. No he had stopped and turned with steal in his eyes to face off against five different derivatives of that vile abomination Slytherin had preserved. Harry's blade and mace was fluidly working to stave off these monsters' chase of her she glimpsed when she looked back once in prayer he would relent and follow still.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Stumbling at hearing that Light cursed message she had to pause and re-gather her long skirts. During this she felt it. Saidar was being used. They were saved! If she ran back she could stay and aid her love fight off those brutish invaders. But why did that strange message give her so much distress? All that would have to wait, her Harry needed her.

Turning about she dashed back towards her embattled lover. Finding him in a deadly dual with a black cloaked hooded man that moved like silk, she almost cried in relief that he was still alive. Harry's raven blade sang out in an evil hiss as it met the black smoking sword of his foe. A nearby Trolloc tried to take a cheap shot to Harry's free side, but the beast's heavy battle ax was cracked upon the parrying head of her love's wicked mace.

Off in the wooded surroundings, two women were approaching, both afire with Saidar. One flung a weave at her Harry, the other slag was trying to use noise suppression weaves to hide all this mayhem. These treasonous Aes Sedai were actually aiding the invaders, this wasn't their rescue but just a bigger betrayal!

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast**./

Off away from those two traitorous harpies and gracefully deadly Harry was a glowing archway. Its soft light called to and mocked her. It was a sight she wanted so desperately to ignore.

The weave flung at Harry missed but sheared off the foot thick limbs of a massive nearby tree like a knife through butter. Harry didn't pause at this intrusion, but instead spun the fight to keep the black cloaked villain between him and the Black Sisters. This was not the end of that threat as the fellow vanished into the long lamp cast shadow of a tree, then appear behind her love. It was a terrifying scene unfolding before her eyes. Her love needed her to stand with him, to take down these traitors. She could do it. This is what an Aes Sedai was trained to do.

/ **The way back.../**

That filthy, vile arch was fading from view. She remembered that it was direly important she not let it leave without her. Unfortunately to heed this, she must abandon her one true love to this vile fate. How could she face life, let alone him, by betraying him this way? How could she forgive herself?

Barreling into the light she screamed herself horse. She had to take this hateful step.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Landing in a shrieking heap with a hard thump upon the frigid floor stones of the domed room, she wished nothing more than to die. She was evil and irredeemable. Nothing could salvage someone of her low nature. Nothing.

Sliding into a kneeling position, she wept like she has never wept before.

She had no right to call herself anything. Even the lowest of terms was not nearly low enough to give her just due.

 **/Cold water poured over her head.**

 **"You are washed clean of false pride," Elaida intoned. "You are washed clean of false ambition. You come to us washed clean in heart and soul."/**

She wanted to scream, "How can that be? How can you possibly say that? You have no idea what I've done!"

Slowly Sheriam Sedai helped her up, "I know it is hard, believe me I know. I too went through this, as did the rest. All Aes Sedai must face this."

"I... I left..." she began to tell of what she had done in there.

"Shhh... It is the custom to not ever speak of what is seen. It is private to the Aes Sedai that faced it." Sheriam gently cut her off.

"Ohh... okay... I don't think I could speak... Merlin preserve us it was..." she tried to settle her nerves. Facing a silly Sorting Hat, or a lengthy essay test was nothing like this. Children could never survive this and be sane. She doubted she would herself.

"Are you okay child?" Sheriam asked quietly.

"I am. I'm a woman not a girl anymore. I must face this. I have no choice." she gritted her teeth and cleared her sore throat to answer. Clenching her teeth tighter still when her stomach thought of betraying her here.

Sheriam smiled sadly, "You are a woman, but not wholly yet. Not just yet."

"How is that?" she demanded with a fist holding her knotting stomach.

"Daphne my dear child, you have one more to go." Sheriam kindly reminded her.

"I know but it is going to happen wether I like it or not." Daphne said with a long cooling breath, "I am not going to back down. There are too many things needing done."

"Good girl. Now child follow me. It is time." Sheriam led her to the last arch.

"Sheriam Sedai, are there Sisters who are outside the Three Oaths?" Daphne had to ask before entering the last task. "I must know. I can not let myself ignore this."

A stumbled step told Daphne quite a lot right then. Slytherins survived on seeing the details. The tiny tells that told the truth of how a person kept secret of how they truly thought or the actual truth of. The pure blind idiots and blissfully obtuse were usually tools for their betters in the House of Salazaar Slytherin. Sheriam Sedai had just given something away.

"No child, all live and die by their oaths." Sheriam replied quietly and firmly,

Daphne's heart chilled. Sheriam had not really answered her. In fact it was an answer that could mean much more terrible truths were being hidden. "Oh okay Sheriam Sedai."

Finding that they were waiting for her in front of the last arch Daphne was brought back to the stark truth of the testing. This was the final step in this stretch of the journey.

Sheriam patted Daphne fondly, "It is nearly done."

"It is." she answered as calmly as she could muster just then, "I am ready."

Smiling brightly the plump red headed Aes Sedai grew calmer herself as she intoned, **/ "The third time is for what will be. The way back will come but once. Be steadfast."/**

Nodding her head and wiping away her few remaining tears, Daphne took another deep breath. It was nearly over. When she had completed this, none could say she was just a silly slip of a girl. None could say with any modicum of truth that she was a weak willed ninny. None that had even a modicum of honesty or character at least.

Holding her head high, Daphne glided into the hated light and what its accursed warmth held secreted away for her.


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

/= **Excerpt**

$= Parseltongue

 **Chapter Twenty Two: Lacrymosa**

Sunlight glowed warmly over the Burrow, bathing Ginny's childhood home in an orange halo with the onset of a slightly foggy sunset. All around were the celebrants toasting to life and love as the wedding reception was in full swing. A grand time to be alive, and an even grander time for the newly weds.

This was a triumphant victory for the small red headed witch. Ginny was now no longer the girl Miss Ginevra Molly Weasley, but now the woman Ginevra Molly Potter Sedai. She had her Blue Shawl draped across her shoulders as her husband and Warder, Harry James Potter Gaiden, held her around the waist. To the party goers they were a silent demure couple, but underneath they were a maelstrom of anticipation and desire. And their bond fed them more of the hungry passion as it let their mutual need stoke the flames higher.

"Well all I can say is that it was something blue, but it was still plain tacky in my opinion." her ever so charming Auntie Muriel railed on at any who would listen at the odd additions to the ceremony. From Harry's Warder Oaths and kneeling in supplication before Ginny, to Ginny's hard won Shawl being used in place of a veil.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

That caused her to stumble somewhat. What was that supposed to mean? Where did that come from? She must not let any see her as weak or unsteady, too much depended on them rebuilding what was lost.

"Is everything okay?" her husband asked with a steady unobserved hand. His slipping into Common was natural and easy, more than using their native English. Worry sung in the bond from her gorgeous husband as he held her tenderly. "You feel worried?"

She gave him a look saying how she wasn't the only one.

When he wouldn't relent she partially confessed, "It's going to take a bit to get used to your access to my feelings. It was only one of those stray silly passing thoughts women have. I have them now and again."

"An Aes Sedai having silly thoughts? What a scandal." he teased with a breath taking smile. Since his near constant training began to become a Warder, her Harry had blossomed from a skinny underfed boy into a strong ruggedly handsome man. He even kept his dreamy long hair in a long que down his back where it ended just shy of his nicely tight bum. Ginny's poor mum was in a right state in wanting to shear it off.

If she dared try Ginny would get rather creative in reprisal. Just as she had for countless other little things her family thought was the only acceptable ways of doing things. For one daring to keep her near sisters away because they didn't fit the norm.

Gliding over to them was their dearest friends, her near sisters Hermione and Daphne forever locked in a debate over something no one else could follow, with the other two Luna and Parvati a step behind sharing a private joke that left the pair blushing. Each of these precious four wore their Shawls as well. All of the girls from that fateful trip were there and wrapped in their signs of rank and Ajah. Unsurprisingly Brown was home to Hermione, whom turned out to be the smartest witch of two Ages. White gracefully turned pale Luna into an ethereal angel as she beamed happily on the world. Parvati's oddly Warderless Green gave light to her eyes as she spoke a quiet word of Hindi to Luna, who took to laughing with blushing glee once more. Finally Grey shrouded Daphne, to the mean spirited snickers of Ginny's prat brother Ron. However Bill didn't seem to see the humor, quite the opposite if his longing looks her friend's way were any indication.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast.** /

There it was again. That annoying message. Why did hearing it chill her heart so thoroughly? What reason did she need to be steadfast here on one of the happiest days of her life?

"You two made a dazzling couple." Daphne confided with a chuckle, momentarily dropping her Aes Sedai cool, near emotionless serenity, "I'm rather jealous."

"We all are." Hermione hugged Ginny and Harry lovingly.

Luna and Parvati share a smile and affirming nods.

Harry's knot of emotion had a shivering twinge during this little exchange, but said nothing. He filled her with his love and desire like a flood when she slightly turned her head his way. It was better than mulled wine.

Strolling over was Ron, his wide grin and very young face reminded Ginny of how time moved differently in different mirror worlds. She and her friends have been gone twenty plus years before finding their ways back home. In fact she was now older than her oldest brother Bill. Fred and George were both soon to be proud grandfathers to the horror and delight of their parents.

And yet Ron still has not changed his mind about Hermione, to whom he was following around like a hopeful puppy dog. All the Aes Sedai thought it must be from their ageless faces. Blaise had to get rough with Crabbe, Goyle, Draco, and especially Snape when those first three buffoons thought to harass Tracey and Daphne.

Her clueless brother was grinning as he sidled up to Hermione, "Blimey Harry, Ginny you two had mum in a right state, but we're all happy you two finally made it official."

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Smirking Harry replied, "We only waited to do it here. Your parents deserved it. Besides the fact your sister just earned her Shawl a few years ago, and I was off fighting in Tarmon Gai'don. Bloody hard to have a real wedding in all that. Inviting a Fist or two Trollocs just didn't feel right."

That put her brother of his footing. What was worse was Lupin's entry into the conversation, Hermione's champagne in hand. "There you go my love. I was wondering where you went."

"To see my two best friends, when we bond you won't have to guess any more." her Brown Sister laughed fondly, "Harry do be a doll and teach him better."

"I-." Harry started to speak then stopped and had his sword and mace out in a flash of silvery orange. A streaking light in the shape of a lynx had landed among the party goers.

/ **The Minister is dead. The Ministry has fallen. They come./**

A hateful arch of light stood off to the edge of her family's door yard.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

People started running and screaming. Many were Apperating away.

Harry's eyes flashed with grim delight as he kissed her soundly, "Let the blighters come. We end it tonight if we must. T'shar Britannia!" he was one with the Void as he became a chilly ball of empty emotions in her mind, a humorless grin split his lips as he stood beside his Blade Brothers ready to fight. Luna and Parvati took hold of each others hand and reached out to Daphne who became as icy a Queen as there ever was. Hermione reached for hers but the ground erupted with a witch's bombardo sent her way.

Belatrix was on a broom over head cackling maniacally as she took aim at Ron.

Another dark specter arrived in a swirling mass of darkness. Her heart chilled just a fraction as she saw the man who mentally raped her all of her first year. His sneer of joy at seeing Harry was a bit frightening even if she was a full sworn Aes Sedai now.

Her love though just barked an insane laugh as he unleashed Saidin in a storm of weaves she could not see but for the destruction they wrought. The battle was joined in full now.

Hermione was being aided in standing by Ron but Bellatrix Lastrange began casting. "Avada Kedavra!" Green light was streaking straight for her brother and near sister.

 **/...but once. Be steadfast./**

She knew what she must do as the vile green fire shot towards her family. Tears poured from her cheeks as she turned her back on them to walk out this arch of condemnation, not wishing to see the result of the Killing Curse behind her. She already knew she would never forgive herself in any case. She did not have the heart to remember their betrayed faces for all eternity though. She wasn't strong enough for that again. However one day she'd be strong enough to stop anything of its like ever occurring. One day...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Cold winds buffeted the tent's canvas walls, but that didn't bother its occupants. All of whom were snuggled in for a fine Christmas and looking forward to their Feast of Lights celebrations later in the week. A distraction in the middle of their hunt for a way to utterly destroy Voldemort once and for all.

Off to the side was the wireless playing muggle Christmas songs to lighten the mood. In this war that wasn't, there was little to rejoice over. A fact that galled the group now gathered in this hidden temporary sanctuary from the outside world. They could have done more earlier if certain, should have been, allies would have done more to help. These allies instead did anything but that.

Hermione sighed in pleasure as she was cuddled into her loving Warder's arms. Thoughts of the thoughtless waste that this war clearly was, were pushed to the side for the now. Tonight her and her Harry would be thinking only good thoughts. As would their rugged band of true friends. Like Neville and Padma whom were trying with laughing delight to strip an enchanted mistle toe of its berries. Dobby's extra help meant for Harry and her had the thing sprout new berries like a cheerful hydra. Then there was Blaise and Tracey whom were silently wrapped up in a large throw together, as if in their own world for the moment. Luna and Parvati were going over a map of India for some reason and occasionally giggling together in some private joke between them. Daphne and Ginny had created an advanced game of passing the ball of light and were paired off against each other with their team mates Lav and Astoria. But those last two were not their only friends from the now lost school of Hogwarts. Susan Bones, Dean Thomas, Hannah Abbott, and of course Ron were here all acting as care free teens on holiday. If only the Weasley Twins, Angelina, and Alicia could have been spared from teaching the forbidden new ways to their remaining allies.

Upon returning from the Third Age mirror Earth, Hermione and the others were welcomed home readily. That is till they began teaching the Secrets of the Ancients. Ironically it was Dumbledore who denounced them the most vigorously of all those from this Age in some sort of position of authority. Actively decrying the strange and most likely fringe form of magic as a step into the clutches of darkness, he raised a veritable army of supporters to his view from those that it could have helped the most. Hounded daily in the press and in the streets, they were forced into hiding to teach those very few who were willing. Meanwhile Voldemort had returned and conquered England with ease, then started the slaughter of those Dumbledore had turned against Harry and them as they were blood traitors and muggleborns. All the great leader of the Light Dumbledore did was hide behind the walls of Hogwarts and wring his hands in anguish at the savage butchery, till the Dark Lord came for the school too. Harry and them tried to rescue those with in even if her love had to fight both Voldemort and Dumbledore in a three way duel. The latter was lost in this but many innocents were saved.

Now Hermione's group of friends were the heroes once again, and hoped for champions in defeating the Dark Lord. But so much was now lost to Dumbledore's insane refusal of them. So many lives that could have been here with them. Included in that grim tally were her parents, whose names and address were delivered over to the Death Eaters by Snape. This was possibly by Dumbledore's command even, though none spoke of it. Just as none spoke the old man's name these days, he was a banished one in the eyes of the survivors. He was not even to be a memory.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

She didn't like the sound of that, so she cuddled deeper into her Harry's side. "Harry, I want to have a baby. I know this war is going on, but... but I want us to have what we've both lost. A great big happy home and the family to fill it."

He grinned and kissed her lips, his tasted delightfully of cider and candy canes, "Brilliant my love. Plus the trying has me addicted."

Her cheeks were afire as she swatted his arm playfully, but couldn't help giggling in agreement to his assessment.

Ginny took up an old Feast of Lights carol after turning off the wireless, her team mate Astoria snuggled down into her side flush with their victory. The aria was hauntingly beautiful. Of course it still was alien to this world, but to those who gave thirty years or more to that other, it was an old favorite. Feeling the little scamp at her side, Ginny wrapped an arm around the dear as she sang. Joining in, the once lost band sang with bright longing smiles. This had been home while there, but there was where they had grown up and lived fairly long happy if hard lives. They were of two Earths, but yet belonged to neither. They were strangers in any world they chose to live on.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Ron, Dean, and Lav were listening to the song in awe. Bones and Abbott were trying to follow the words. Young Astoria, with her eyes brimming with hero worship, hummed along beside her big sister and Ginny. It was hard for those of this world and Age to accept that Hermione and company had seen beyond this one. More proof had a way of leaving some dismayed, and it was in higher frequency among their own friends and family. It was another separation between them all, though these here were growing more accustomed to it.

If only her own parents had believed her and went into hiding with her. If only they could have seen how happy she was with Harry. All they had seen was her love's warrior ways, as if he were a dangerous killer. Unbeknownst to her, Dumbledore had visited them early on to frighten them as best as she could call it. To encourage them to turn her love in to the authorities as a danger to society. If she could, she'd wring that old fraud's neck instead of letting her Harry end him. She never got to tell them how much she loved them...

With the soft tenderness she knew he kept in reserve for only a select few, her lover brushed away a tear that had escaped her Aes Sedai calm. He was giving her that lopsided grin that said how much he wished to take away all her pain and bear it himself. An impossibility but she loved him all the more for it. They at least had each other even if they both had lost their families in the gamesmanship of others.

"Care to open your gift, Ione?" he asked with hope and love dancing in his eyes and their bond. The twinkling of desire in there made her blush.

Intrigued she leaned in to kiss his cheek, "As long as it doesn't involve shocking displays."

"It doesn't, but a little privacy will go a long way." he cracked a widening smile. "Let's slip out to see the stars. It will give perspective." Her lover's flashing green eyes and heart of gold were making her world a dizzying thing, so she let him take the lead.

Leaving the tent, they strolled out a ways to a larger clearing in the bowery of the whitened forest they were in. It had been a night like this one back on the slopes of Dragonmount that they first made love and bonded. That had been twenty years and Ages ago, in a far graver war than this one. That had been the night she had attained the Shawl and her one driving desire as a celebration was to have him in her arms. He had nobly tried to resist as he had on their run from Caemlyn, but she refused to allow him. He was hers and she made him see it. Once he had... well she found their couple of weeks alone on that lonely mountain highly entertaining.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

What ever that meant, she absolutely hated its intrusion into their scant time of peace.

"Hermione, I've put this off for far too long." Harry fidgeted with worry, kneeling at her feet he pulled out a small box. "I found this with Sirius' help when he was still... We'll it was my grandmother's ring. Oddly it fits us."

Opening it she saw it was a gold band with an onyx raven and ivory dove bracketing a mother of pearl and beryl yin-yang. Or was it the symbol of the Aes Sedai as it truly looked to her.

"My mother inherited it when she gave birth to me. I know it's not a diamond but... but you're worth more than any ordinary diamond." he hesitated in worry.

She felt dizzy and the bubbling return of the girl that had kissed Harry in the Mountains of Mist, "Ohh!" she was having difficulty breathing.

"Hermione Jane Granger Sedai, will-?" he began but was cut off by her nearly swooning into passing out. Thankfully he caught her, as he always has since her bonding him.

"Oi, what're you two doing out here? It's too bloody cold." Ron asked inconveniently just then from the open door flap.

"Blood and bloody ashes! I'm trying to propose here." Harry barked angrily.

"Oh... oh sorry." Ron fled back inside the tent, causing Hermione to smile and turn back to her frustrated lover.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Sighing Harry shook his head and returned to gazing up at her, the wild beating of heart was causing her to hold her chest. Yes they had been more or less husband and wife for decades, but they had been putting this step off for one reason or another the whole time. Secretly she cursed how they were "living in sin" as her mother denounced it. She would cry because of it now and then, when she let it intrude on her happiness. They simply had too many greater worries to attend to. They loved each other right? Was that not all that mattered?

This though was her greatest desire, to be not merely a wife. If she had wished that any old bloke would've filled that. No she wanted her Harry, and the family they would create together. She knew he felt the same for her.

 **/The way back.../**

She hated that. She wanted this. Wrenching herself away from a chance at her dreams, she left her Harry behind staring at her in hurt betrayal and abandonment. Tears and a curse for the Wheel escaping her as the light enveloped her.

One day she hoped to live her dreams. One day she'd be worthy of them.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tremors still shook the castle, sending showers of debris and dust upon the weary Resistance to Lord Voldemort and his inbred hordes of Death Eaters. It had been a titanic battle that had broken the ancient castle's centuries old defensive enchantments, but not the stalwart spirit of its defenders. Those brave souls had given better than they got in spite of the active reluctance of the school's headmaster Dumbledore. His antiquated high minded ideals of non-violence had bolstered his resistence to the thought of killing enemy combatants. After Daphne's Circle and their friends put a stop to that and unleashed the One Power's full potential down upon the heads of the Death Eaters, the dire prospects began to lift some.

Instead their husband and Warder Harry had rallied the fighters to eliminate large chunks of the Dark Lord's forces. Even in a spectacular battle visible to both factions, he visibly decapitated Lucius Malfoy as the Death Eater led an ill fated assault on the main gates. It had become a war and battle in the fullest meaning of the terms then. The Resistence had grown teeth and the Death Eater Purebloodest butchers experienced harsh deaths for a change. She remembered seeing Dumbledore openly weeping at the sight, a counter point to the jubilant cheers of the rest around him. However it still might be a case of too little too late as those that might have swelled the ranks of the Resistence had been sacrificed needlessly for the old wizards unending games.

Holding her Circlemate Ginny's hand as she wept at the confirmed loss of her mother in a past raid by the vile Bellatrix Lestrange, Daphne felt out their Warder's presence. He was standing guard over the main gate, the lone place left for the enemy to bring a significant assault against now. Having wrenched control of the Keep from its headmaster, they had swiftly installed a Grand Circle of Seventy Two holding the reins of a massive ward the likes of which this Age had never witnessed. Voldemort himself could never dream of cracking that. Proven by his being rebuffed by its magnitude four times in as many days.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Whatever that was gave her a shiver of terror. It was important and would hurt, though she didn't know what it meant.

"Give up Harry Potter and no more will have to die. Give me the butcher of our holy blood and all shall be spared." Voldemort demanded again in a shrieking boom.

Daphne felt Harry's unbridled rage at that, "Butcher? Wouldn't that be you, Tommy Boy? Stop throwing your inbred boot lickers at me and face me yourself. Face me out on the field of battle like the real wizarding hero you claim to be. Come face a real warrior, a real man and the bearer of your utter annihilation from the Pattern. Face me cur, and die just as you have murdered countless others."

A shrieking scream of rage reverberated across the ancient keep. The power of the exchange rained more debris down over them all. It had a few wailing in fright, but most cheered the frustration of Voldemort. Even Ginny cheered some, her normally bright pretty face split into a slight smile to return to this state, in spite of the dusty tear tracks staining it.

Bursting into their bonds with Harry was fear and disbelieving horror. Gasping she grabbed Ginny and Luna as she charged off to aid Harry, "Something is wrong."

The three pounded down and out to the front courtyard. Across the ruined bridge was a surging growing mass of darkness. "Light preserve us." Daphne gasped in her own disbelief.

Thousands on thousands of Trollocs and other Shadowspawn were gathering from out of the Forbidden Forest. Memories of what their trip through Slytherin's Truth shown her came full to life. Ranks upon ranks of the monstrous abominations were trooping in. Hordes filed the sky and far off cliff with their winged soul sucking cousins intermixed with dementors. This was the armies of the Abyss and Light preserve them if any soul fell into the clutches of them.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

"Kneel Potter! Kneel to the inevitable." whooped Voldemort insanely.

"We have to reach Harry. He needs a circle to rebuff this." Daphne blurted out.

Luna's face grew somber, "Yes, but even then we will be at a disadvantage. Without Hermione and Par we might not be enough. Why did the Wheel choose now to have their pregnancies come to fruition?"

A rush of power shot past them as Professor McGonagall hurled a boulder the size of a horsecart past. Earth, Fire, and Water held that weave together. Well, until it struck the front ranks to demolish them in an explosion equal to that of a muggle bomb from World War II. It was not enough but it was not alone as others of varied strengths hammered the nightmarish army too. When some of the smoke cleared this bombardment was shown to not have dented the massed numbers out there. The explosions were more like sprinkling water on a hot griddle for all the damage they accomplished.

"Merlin they're not even phased." Ginny wobbled in shock, "Harry. Harry will need us no matter how few there are of us."

Running up the stairway to their love, the three Aes Sedai were caught off guard by a rumble of the earth beneath them. All along the wall was cracks tearing open in plumes of dirt and dust. Some of their fellow defenders were screaming in terror when they were caught in the wake of the destruction. Ginny, a step or two ahead of them was one such victim as she clung to the side of the broken stairway with one hand. Her fingers were slipping as she swung in the tremors.

Staggering to her as best she could Daphne tried to catch hold of her. Only the violent quake sent her back a step too far away.

"Tell him that I loved him." Ginny cried out as she lost her grip. All Daphne saw was the release of her near sister's bond with Harry.

Scrambling to the edge she saw her beloved Circlemate laying sightlessly in an unnatural heap. In an after shock Daphne herself about joined her. What stopped this was her other friend catching her in a weave of Air.

"Oh no you don't." Luna cried out through a storm of tears, "We need to aid Harry."

"GIN!" Daphne screamed in agonizing loss, "Oh Ginny!"

"We can mourn her later. The Shadow must be stopped." Luna dragged her away in determined anguish. "We dare not stop yet."

A roar of primal anguish ripped throughout the Hogwarts Valley and surrounding country side. Harry knew that their Ginny was gone, her last self sacrifice was to release him, to let him live and fight on. To spare him the horror of Bond Loss.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Gaining her own feet Daphne refocused and took off, matched step by step by a serious eyed Luna wiping away a score of tears. A horrible dread was stilling her heart as that warning swam through her awareness of the collapsing world around her.

Leaping over a crevasse in the broken outer wall, the girls saw the remains of other defenders caught in the collapse mixed in amongst the rubble. Death was just another part of war, even if they knew and loved the dying. Even if they were as beloved as their Ginny.

A shadow filled the sky as there was a second quake. Looking up and out over the fractured breastworks she saw the cause. A rain of thumb thick arrows were blacking out the sunlight over the battlefield. The only light that made it through was in thin sporadic shafts and that of arching spell and tracer fire.

Knowing these last two quakes must have disrupted the defensive Grand Circle, she threw herself behind some of the remaining crenelation lining the wall."Duck!" she screamed in warning to those still manning the defenses..

Landing harder than she expected she was unable to aid Luna whom was turned into a pincushion for the evil shafts. There was so much blood that her mind froze.

Her dear gentle friend was fighting for breath, but managed to demand, "Harry, Daph...GO!" With that her near Sister let go of her bond with their wizard. Its passing was in tandem with the spark of life leaving those wide light blue eyes that used to bubble with joy.

"Luna..." she wept at losing yet one more of the rocks in her life.

A bone chilling howl of her husband announced his knowledge of this as the sky turned into an inferno. Gusting gales of scorching rain ignited the world, he mourned though he was not broken yet. If she failed to reach him the enemy may break through. If she failed to be with him he may tear the world asunder.

"Angry Potter? Did we hurt some one special?" the Dark Lord cackled.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Gaining back her wits, she was the world and her love's last hope. He was near enough she could see him. He was a god of vengeance as he let the power of Saidin scourge the earth bare in retaliation for the deaths of their Ginny and Luna.

He was near but nearer still and away from his direction was a shining archway.

 **/...will come but once.../**

Daphne wanted nothing more than to stay. Should stay for that matter.

"I hate you all!" she screamed out in fury of the Pattern, the Wheel, the White Tower...herself. Fleeing out the fading arch she just prayed an arrow would put an end to her and her treacherous self.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Gazing out over the bustling city of Hyderabad, Parvati breathed in the rich scents of her ancestral homeland. Her travel weary family rested behind her after their flight from England, where they had been exiled from. She still could hardly understand why the English Ministry had reacted the way they had. Not to Harry's having five wives, they accepted that as a way to keep his lines alive, but they took strong exception to the blessings of the Ancients' Path to Power as some dubbed channeling. Minister Fudge himself publicly declared in a live Wizarding Wireless broadcast that Harry was now Enemy Number One.

Flight was their only answer, and thus they came to India where they hoped more of wizardingkind would be open to their knowledge. It was here that they had settled on as the place to build a New White Tower, and from it lead the whole world into the Light. Even if they must for now sacrifice all those they were forced to leave behind in the land of Merlin and the High King. Aes Sedai had higher duties to attend to than personal desires, no matter if they hurt all the worse for it.

Sighing she probed her mind's permanent guest. Her love and Warder, Harry James Potter Gaiden. Just a brief brushing thought revealed that he was currently working his forms below in the inner courtyard of the Patil clan's ancestral home. He was controlled rage, and she couldn't help crying for it.

Hermione joined her at the window, sliding an arm around her middle they lean into each other for mutual support. "He won't get over this soon. Dumbledore meant the world to him. Being publicly denounced as a new Dark Lord by his childhood hero hurt him to the quick. Ohh I could throttle the rotten old sod."

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

She halted replying to shake herself. Where had that come from, and why did she hate and fear it so deeply?

"Well that and my parents acting as if he stole me from them." Ginny commented dully.

Flight from England had occurred on a muggle flight out of Heathrow to Dubai, then onto Seoul, back to New Dehli, from there they chartered a smaller flight to here. It was round about but it would hopefully create confusion in any pursuit. They had not left with the blessings of their home nation, but to stay they risked running afoul of Fudge's pet dementors. Banking on the native abhorrence of wizardingkind for all things muggle, they prayed it extended to travel options as well. Muggle travel was not pleasant compared to other comparative forms of magical travel she decided somewhere between Dubai and Seoul.

Yawning Ginny added, "They just couldn't understand our arrangement, or that we're in our forties with children of our own. It has to be as the Great and Wise Dumbledore mumbles, right? My family has always listened devoutly to that one. He might be good and rescued me from a few idiocies of Aunt Muriel, but he refuses to see that he isn't all wise and all knowing."

Hermione snorted in agreement.

Harry had stopped working out and was making his way back to them. Padma's tired smile told Parvati that Neville was on his way as well. Not even the Gaiden could overcome jet lag for very long, Parvati wagered. They were incredibly gifted, but not impervious to the laws of basic nature. To which made their Aes Sedai wives pleased, it meant they still needed love. They were not just living weapons but real men hidden inside such.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

That message or whatever it was gnawed at her insides.

Her son Mohan, the oldest of all Harry's boys and second oldest of all the Circle's children came bursting in. Her first born was going to be a lady killer when he reached his teens and beyond by his startling looks and raising to be a future Warder. His father's green eyes stood out in his dusky face. His ten years of age had earned him the right to begin training in earnest as a Warder trainee. It made her proud as well as want to cry. He was her baby.

"Mum! We have guests." the boy declared loudly as he strove not to trip on his new scabbard. A gift from his uncles Fred and George. His red cockades were from Neville and Blaise, but the cloak was his dad's with the promise that one day it would be replaced with one that only went from father to oldest son.

"Oh yeah? Who Mo?" Lily Helena demanded, Hermione's oldest daughter loved to point out her being one hour older than Mohan, "And you should knock before just barging into the Ladies Quarters."

All of this had been in the fluid Common Tongue, the native language of all their children. Save those not yet born at least.

Standing with his back up, Parvati's son reached over and banged the door defiantly. Lily' response was to sniff and stick out her tongue in such a lady like manner. Both mothers had to bite back giggles from the little tete-tet.

Harry slid in silently as did Neville, Blaise, and the Weasley Twins with their three oldest sons. That trio were more men now than boys as they were in their late to middle teens. However that realization held nothing compared to what she was receiving from Harry. By the look and feel of him, trouble could be coming though he was masking it for his pregnant wives, Luna and Daphne, and the Circle's army of children. Even with his doing this, all his wives knew him well enough to see the signs of how deeply he felt worry for his family. As one, they and all their other Aes Sedai friends embraced Saidar. No one wise would face nine angry Sisters and their Warders.

"Mo, Lily go help the servents bring refreshments. Remember that pumpkin juice is the preferred drink in this Age. You can still have cider if you wish though." he softly commanded through a forced smile.

With a deep bow and respectful curtsy the duo rushed off to be the first to be back.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

"Harry? Who-?" Hermione warily asked their tense husband.

"That would be us, Miss Granger." Dumbledore replied while stepping in with a large group of his followers. Most were strangers, but not all as Mr. Weasley was one. "I hope all of you children are well after your travels?"

Harry growled in warning, "It is Hermione Potter Sedai old man. Learn proper address for an Aes Sedai or I shall instruct you how."

"Or Hermione Sedai dear, as you do have five wives." Hermione cooly replied, her eyes daring their old headmaster to say otherwise, "For convenience sake if anything."

"That is not a good idea to advertise. Lord Voldemort will likely target any that are connected to Harry. You should give up this farcical _family_ you claim." Dumbledore suggested to the jet lag weary Aes Sedai, "You are playing a dangerous game. But that is not of any concern to me except for the fact that these children are put in danger by it. Add to this that the Ministry considers them English citizens, and all of you as criminals or public enemies, they are to be collected and placed into foster care with families that will take them in." the flaming old idiot actually thought that flourishing the warrant he held would make them hop to.

"Try it and you die where you stand." Harry answered that threat with a deadly promise.

 **/The way back will come but once./**

Standing on the patio unseen by all but her was a glowing arch full of the promise of pain and regret. It was also where she must go to succeed at a life she may not like in the end. Here she had everything she could ever imagine or hope for.

/ **Be steadfast./**

"There won't be any need for such empty bluster." Snape had her son and Lily at wand point, the foul potioner was partially turned away from her, but also slightly guarded by a now stunned Mr. Weasley, whom was staring in disbelief at the man for threatening children.

"Severus what are you thinking?" the man asked in confusion.

Harry wasn't backing down though as he asked darkly, "Do you think we can't stop you? Snape I swear if you do not let them go, none of you will ever leave this house alive."

Outside she glimpsed others on brooms, circling the house, this would be bad.

 **/The way back.../**

If she left, her family, the one she'd began to dream of, would be in even more of a disadvantage. Her son, so handsome just like his name, was turned slightly to her in frightful hope of her protection. He was pleading with her for her to be the woman his grandmother had been. He was depending on her to be his guardian angel.

But she still dashed out the despicable arch screaming in hopeless rage at all of creation, herself most of all. She wasn't worth ever calling herself a mother.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Sneaking through the Forbidden Forrest to surprise ambush the awaiting Lord Voldemort, Luna's Circle planned on aiding their love as he went to face the Dark Lord. Battling for the fate of the world's future on the grounds of Hogwarts was not how anyone saw this war turning out. But what war ever did go precisely how the factions fighting it would have wished. Life and the Wheel loved to give twists and turns to the events humans must endure.

Harry had taken the reigns of the Light's forces from the ancient hands of Dumbledore to salvage what could be salvaged. Already England's magical world was laying in ashes. The Dark Lord's forces were not interested in prisoners or holding an ounce of decency. To them, the more death and mayhem the better, however the leaders of the Light treated this as a deniable fact or that they could bring them to repentance. It had not been in the Light to fight with all due diligence. It had been not to leave your enemies dead on the field, but instead merely stunned and hopefully in prison for a time. Both of the latter options they'd accept failed over and over to blunt the sadistic violence from the Dark Lord's followers.

Rejecting this philosophy of combat, Harry had been branded a murderer. His answer was to ignore the Light's bumbling leadership and butcher the enemy anyway. He did this quite well. Decimating the enemy's numbers in a steady slaughter that horrified the old guard. This forced Voldemort to try a conquest of Hogwarts to capture hostages from the children of the country's elite. Unfortunately Dumbledore had found time to present a lone Harry with some vital information only for their Warder. During this secretive meeting the ancient wizard had succeeded in convincing Harry he had no choice but to face Voldemort and let himself be murdered. Something about the scar Luna's true love bore and was known to be a bit of the evil scourge of England. This sly maneuver of the old man earned the enmity of the Circle.

When the battle was done and their wizard safely returned, the Circle would lay a heavy judgement on Dumbledore. A doom that would be legendary and leave the world with the knowledge that the old guard no longer were ever allowed to play with the lives of others.

/ **The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

"Bother all that." she told the Wheel in disgust as that message left an queasy sensation in her tummy. She must not let her lovely if currently daft husband get hurt.

Using the One Power her Circle and their friends' back up linked circle had effectively eliminated any warning getting back to the Dark Lord. Her Circle were joined by Tracey, Morag McDougal, and Lavender with Blaise and Ron adding the boost of Saidin to the already potent force of Saidar. The other link was formed by Padma and Neville with a wider assortment of newly trained Novices and wizards. But none were as dedicated as she and her four near sisters in seeing Harry home safe. He was their other half, their center to their odd union.

They had been creative in dealing with none to few of the Death Eaters that came near. Plus Blaise and Neville's blades dripped blood from those things that were a bit tougher to swiftly silence, like the giant they recently passed. The witches and wizards that were its handlers were decorating the large trees along the way like grim Christmas tensile. Death of an enemy or two was not a thing to be squeamish over.

Luna was desperate to save Harry not save the souls of a few murderous bigots.

She kept her eyes open for movement while carefully feeling out her bond with her wizard Warder. What he was feeling was anxiety and no small amount of grief. Folding up her presence to mask it, she wished to remain hidden in order to prevent his trying to stop their rescue mission. Even if she yearned to hold him, comforting his sorely put heart. Concentrating on this more and more that they neared his path was keeping her only half aware of her surroundings, same as it did with her sisters. Thankfully Tracey was adept at combat weaves, and Blaise an excellent tracker freeing the Circle to avoid discovery.

Coming upon the clearing Harry was heading to, the pair of linked circles employ the Mask and the Mirror to remain unseen by all. This was a tricky venture already. In order to pull it off they needed to wait till the most opportune moment to strike. Mistime it too quick and their enemies may be alert enough to counter them. Wait too long and Harry may be lost.

"It appears Potter has refused your invitation, milord." a tall Death Eater announced while coming out of the woods.

"I was certain of his stupid nobility. Well never mind we shall recommence the annihilation of those fools following him. I'll see to Dumbledore myself." the vile wizard sneered in exasperation.

Rustling in the underbrush paused the army of bigots, but it was seeing her Harry step out of the shadows that stopped Luna's heart temporarily.

"Impatience will be your end Tommy Boy. That and other things." Harry taunted the villainous wizard.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

"Oh I believe these are yours." Harry flung a sackful of heads at the murderer's feet. One that rolled out proved to be Goyle's, "There were others but they didn't have nearly this much left for me to bring you. My last count was over forty."

Revulsion and fear filled Voldemort's host.

"So you've learned the power of killing?" Voldemort smirked self righteously, "The thrill enliven your dreary life?"

"No. I'm a warrior, thus the butchery is my trade. That sack is not even a tiny fraction of those that I've ended." her beloved remarked with callus detachment, "So shall we do this?"

"Very well, but you must know that I will win this." Voldemort laughed maniacally.

"Only temporarily. Oh by the way..." Harry smirked impishly, "We'll just even things more for those that matter."

Her love stretched out his hand and a solid bar of pure white light cut the darkness to strike the heavily warded snake familiar of Voldemort's. For a bare second or two a blinding after image of the serpent blinded her. Seeing that and seeing that its protections were proved insufficient, the evil sadistic would be conqueror of England screamed in terrified rage.

Harry was walking boldly towards his shaken foe, "Now it will be an even battle afterwards, Tommy Riddle, king of Stick shakers."

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

That had Luna lose focus in a gobsmacked stupor, in her dazed state she hears the Dark Lord screamingly cast, "Avada Kedavra!"

Horror filled her as her Harry fell dead, but so too did the Dark Lord.

The two linked circles didn't wait for the gathered Army to get reorganized. Cutting loose all their pent up hatred on the enemy, the air became thick with weaves and the screams of the dying. Tracey and Padma may not have been bound to Harry, but the hate and anguish they felt turned their chosen selection of weaves into the things of nightmares. Blaise and Neville wore identical masks of emotionless savagery while they Danced With Jac of the Shadows seeking only to kill their Blade Brother's murderers. Funnily one wailing woman was Mrs Malfoy as she at first ran then crawled to the inert body of Harry and not Lord Voldemort.

A bit bewildered by the sight, she also saw the hated arch full of glowing light.

"Lils I'm so sorry." the witch wailed inconsolably.

Draco scurried to his mother's side, demanding, "Stop it this instant mother. Why are you acting this way?"

"You're safe because of him and for Lils..." the older blond cradled Harry's body next to hers, rocking it like one rocks a baby.

 **/The way back will come but once. Be steadfast./**

Luna couldn't let that side track her, she had to stay embracing Saidar and in the link so that Tracey could lay waste to their enemies. She couldn't even let her grief unhinge her in her Bond Loss for the same reason. She must see these monsters suffer for stealing her love away from her. She must see them all burn.

Then she could join her love and find the peace they never had in life.

"I said stop it mother. I command you." Draco was snarling.

There was a bit of movement in either Mrs. Malfoy's lap or the woman herself, but Luna missed from where when a keening Bellatrix Lastrange was looking up from beside Lord Voldemort to aim her wand. "Traitor!"

/ **Be steadfast./**

The Circle was becoming hard pressed with so many foes and the anguish stifling their hearts, but they all felt some spark there inside their wizard. That or Luna had the final proof she was utterly mad.

That arch was calling even as it was fading.

She glimpsed Harry's hand grip Mrs. Malfoy's, but the woman's sister was clamoring up with her wand aimed at Harry.

Breaking off from the Circle when she saw that the arch was almost gone, Luna yearned to run to protect her love. To cradle his body just like Mrs. Malfoy was doing.

Diving through the arch she screamed "I'm sorry Harry, forgive me!"


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

/= **Excerpt**

 **Chapter Twenty Three: Sweet Scarifice**

Cowering in on herself as the light left her; hate, agony, self loathing, and crushing guilt filled her to over flowing. What she had seen and done this night or day, whichever it was now, would haunt her rest of her life. Testing for becoming an Accepted was done, and she had passed but the emotional scars she would bear were indelibly marking her soul.

"I'm sorry! My love, I'm sorry!" she sobbed, as she hugged herself ever tighter up into a ball. Wishing beyond hope that she could fold herself into nothingness.

Before her stood a Shawled Sister from each of the Seven Ajahs along with the Amyrlin herself. Realizing her place she strove to regain her hard fought composure to unwind her aching knotted up body. Kneeling immediately before the woman upon her success, she struggled to stay lucid as there was the double layering of a Vision over the Mother. This mighty witch was being rent apart and cast aside only to be saved by a strange distinguished man.

Elaida handed the Amyrlin the last silver chalice. The Red Sister had her own double image of being crowned with glory by dirty hands while at the same time a silver leash was slowly cinched around her proud neck. Other women there were also playing host to Tellings in a confusing rush.

Visions, too many Visions and she could not even escape them!

Pouring the chalice upon Luna the Amyrlin intoned,/ **"You are washed clean of/** Luna Lovegood of Ottery St. Catchpole. **/You are washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You come to us washed clean of all ties that bind you to the world. You come to us washed clean, heart and soul. You are/** Luna Lovegood **, /Accepted of the White Tower."/** The final dribbles of her chilly dousing trailed down her hair and into her eyes. **/ "You are sealed to us now."/**

Handing the chalice to another Aes Sedai, the Amyrlin brought out a gold ring in the shape of a serpent eating its own tail. "You may have a tattoo of one on your breast as I've seen other girls have of late, but this is a true mark."

Presenting her shaking left hand Luna replied, "Not all marks mean the same Mother."

Snorting the Amyrlin slipped the ring onto her third finger. Tradition called for all Accepted to wear their ring on that finger, only full Aes Sedai could freely choose to put it elsewhere. But that didn't bother Luna just then, she had made this step and had others to go before being worried over trivial nonsense such as rings. Though they did hold back the shame of what she done in the Arches.

Being raised to her feet by the Amyrlin, whom was regarding her closely, Luna smiled happily in spite of the solemn moment. It caused the woman to quirk a grin as well. Kissing Luna's cheek, the witch spoke with a hint of amusement, "Welcome, Daughter." then kissed the other cheek, "Welcome."

"Thank you Mother." Luna replied with a naked curtsy then blushed and tried to cover herself up by her hands and arms. Which alarmed her till Sheriam led her away to give her a thick fluffy white towel and an Accepted's banded dress. "Thank you Sheriam Sedai." She chattered out feeling the chill of the subterranean chamber. Drying off felt divinely warming. More after she channeled a warming charm on the woolen towel and dress.

"I've never seen weaves like those. When or who taught you that child?" the big Blue Sister inquired with interest, "I'll have to remember those."

"Well as a Wilder I did already know a few things." Luna answered truthfully.

"And that is why you should never have been allowed to Test for Accepted." a cold sounding Elaida sneered behind her. Turning to the doomed woman she saw that the witch was carrying her old Novice clothes and bags, "Wilders do not belong in the White Tower."

Glad to be slipping on her Accepted dress quickly as Elaida's eyes roamed over her disturbingly, Luna cooly replied, "I belong wherever the Pattern places me. That is all any of us can expect or abide by. So Elaida Sedai your logic is severely flawed. Maybe it's the wrackspurts. Oh and thank you for brining my things to me. That was rather nice of you." Sharing this close of space with these two not right witches was making Luna snippy.

Elaida was gobsmacked but still kept on hungrily examining her with a disrobing eye. Sheriam was smirking proudly at Luna with a hug of her shoulders. The two were wrong in so many ways it disturbed her centralizing focus. The Red Sister would kill her own mother for power, and enjoyed dominating others with what power she had. If Luna was left alone with the Red, Elaida may well try something untoward. Then there was the Blue Sister, whom had some darkness covered up by her sweetness. A secret twisted kink made the red headed Blue feel completely off to the tiny witch. Like whiffs of clean looking but too aged cooking oil.

Taking her stuff she gave each a small smile for appearances sake with a quick curtsy, and left as speedily as decorum allowed. After all she experienced, the desire to skip was not in her just then. It would take a lot to purge the loathing she felt for those two, and even more for herself. Fighting down an urge to just curl up and weep took a toll on her. This all had left her testy, she never enjoyed the emotion and actively tried to avoid it. However this testing had stolen all of her favorite emotions to counter the unwelcome ones.

"I will be worthy of Harry." Luna declared defiantly to the cold emotionless depths of the White Tower. "He is mine and nothing you do will dissuade me of this."

Fleeing the ancient musty bowels of this somber madhouse took time and patience. Luna theorized it was yet another test of sorts to be perpetrated on unwary women. Aes Sedai didn't do things out of pure whimsy, unlike the Founders of Hogwarts who thrilled at playing pranks. Both paths held pitfalls and fail to address the fact that their followers were more emotionally varied than these differing paths could deal with. It was more like hopping down the road with only one foot, it takes a lot longer to reach one's destination that way.

Luna should know as she tried it once in a pique of whimsy. All she received for her trouble was a bad case of exhaustion and a nasty leg cramp. It was an experiment she highly sought to avoid repeating.

Finally reaching the upper ground floor after only back tracking twice, she passed the men's practice yard. Her Harry was resting by the water bucket, glistening sweat trickling down his face and deliciously bare chest had her mind forget how to breath for a moment. The sheen of moisture highlighted all of his lean hardening muscles in mesmerizing fashion. This was a sight that was nearly as intoxicating as his smile and widening eyes as he saw her standing in the shade. When he parted from the other boys, whom all had gained a graceful hardness since becoming Warder apprentices, she felt her heart beat erratically, while her eyes traced every curved line of his lean hard frame.

Breath, she had to remember how to breath!

He was a lion in truth, even with his mane not coming in full yet. How he silkily glided like a deadly predator made her weak. "He-he-hello Harr-Harjit." she managed with hope he'd ever love her as she dreamed of.

"Hello Luna. I see you've finally been raised." his hand was half raised to reach out to her, but she knew he was not allowed to finish the act. To the Aes Sedai, he was Parvati's man, not Luna's to her consternation. "Par and the others all mentioned that you were being tested." His hand gripped into a frustrated fist before he let it fall to his side.

The aching desire to just hurl herself into his arms was torturous, as was the guilt she felt for what happened in the arches and her loyalty to her treasured Parvati. None of it would stop her from loving this man before her. Indeed the glimpses of life with him in those Arches actually increased the magnitude of her feelings instead. She would do anything to have him back in her arms now.

"I was hoping to see you before it was time to eat." she blurted out, but at the mention of food and eating, her tummy grumbled dejectedly. It had missed breakfast and now it looked too late for maybe even the last meal of the day. "Oops. I think my stomach disagrees."

Chuckling with amused desire in his eyes for her, Harry looked up, "well supper is not for two more hours give or take. Care for an apple, a scullion that has her eye on that boy over there brought them to us. They're a bit pithy but taste wonderful nonetheless."

Blushing she bobbed her head yes. Keeping a respectful distance of two feet between them, they joined Neville, Blaise, Fred, and George. Under the supervision of the Gaiden, Neville was looking a giant golden haired adonis. However the Weasley Twins had a more leaner build that belayed their power with all things bludgeoning. While Blaise had taken to resembling his blades of choice, the saber and rapier. Finding herself surrounded and the center of attention for all these handsome boys made her feel both exceedingly decadent as well as the Belle of the Ball.

Harry neatly and deftly sliced up the greenish red fruit for her with a loving gaze that excluded the whole of existence save themselves, "We know none of you witches will tell us what happens in the testing." He began while handing her the swiftly trimmed fruit, "But you should know we're proud of you and care for you." Pursing his lips he added in English, "With all my heart and more."

"It's our turn again." Blaise interjected, "Just once I'd like to carve off the smiles of those Younglings. Smug gits the lot."

"Their time will come." Neville's voice held steel, "It's only a matter of time."

While the boys jostled about to make ready, her love's hand quickly caressed hers while continuing in English, "I love you. When this is all over I will make it up to all of you. Luna, seeing you sad like this breaks my heart."

She blossomed at the admission of his love for her, "I love you too. Just remember you're my Warder Harry." Her whole being told her this was the absolute truth.

That had him pause, "All of you have said that to me now. But that was the first thing you said to me. We need-."

Her heart fluttered, had she foresaw their union? She could hope.

"Truhart! Stop harassing the Accepted and face off with Marlesh. He's as sluggish as a drunk on feastday. Beat some speed into him." a gruff Gaiden barked.

Slipping away she felt the guilt of what she'd done in the Arches renew its vigor, "Harry I will be better for you. We belong together." She whispered as she watched him return to his training. Her brave lion with the sable mane.

Passing Novices on the way to their lessons while she was on her way to her own room was awkward. Her feet kept wanting to turn her about and catch up. Being late for lessons as a Novice earned a witch unpleasant lessons from Sheriam Sedai. Luna had plenty of those to fill a lifetime and more, but as a newly raised Accepted she had leeway. Tonight she could rest, if her conscience let her.

Entering her convent cell like room, she yelped in surprise. Awaiting her were all her fellow Hogwarts girls. A welcome sight as she was the last to be raised, and it had started to get lonely in the Novice quarters. Seeing them broke the dam though. Hot tears sprang forth and ran down her face in scorching rivers. Angelina and Alicia, the two oldest girls as well as the first to be raised pulled her in for a joint hug. Soothing words were pouring from them like a soothing dip in a chuckling creek, rinsing away her sorrow and fears. Right then they were all her sisters, a blessing in facing her torrent of self recrimination.

"That's it girl. Let it out. Let it all out. We're with you." Angelina comforted her while Padma fixed tea in her silver tea set. Ginny produced some biscuits from who knows where to accompany that.

Sniffling Luna confessed, "I...I walked out on him-."

"Shh...we know." Hermione brought over Luna's comforter, "Believe me we know. But the question is, do you still love him?" Luna nodded vigorously in mute humility, "Then you've not let it destroy you." the bushy brunet wrapped her in the cherished gift.

"It also tells us that not a one of us were strong enough for him alone." Parvati began speaking as if continuing a prior discussion, "My idea still stands."

Ginny hic-coughed on a dry waifer, "But we'll need to see if she agrees to it as well. Then get our loving man to accept it too."

"Accept what?" Luna was well and away baffled, not much did that to her but then she had never faced the Arches before either, "What am I missing?"

"They are talking of sharing Harry completely." Daphne softly smiled while handing her a cup of Padma's tea. "None of us five are willing to let him go. Not after all of us have tasted life with him and how it felt. Giving him up would be like giving up a vital piece of me."

Luna grew warm all over as she remembered her ordeals in the testing. How she had him all to herself and how she shared him. Which could she live with?, "How did we come up with this idea? Its rather daring."

"It was mine." Parvati answered, their eyes meeting in a return to that silent conversation so long ago. The tender secrets they shared and what they feared to put into words then. "Some in mine and Padma's ancestral homeland have unique marriage customs."

A tingling of some indefinable emotion tickled her mind in teasing brushes as her and her greatest friend shared a new silent conversation.

"Well not all yours." Ginny laughed softly with a hand over her mouth to stop a bit of bicky from escaping, "That one old gleeman Thom, on the boat to Whitebridge said he'd never seen a Green Warder before."

Luna's breath was coming quicker as she giggled waterily, "I miss that old man. I'm..." her eyes locked with her Parvati's for a fraction of a second, could they both have the happiness they desire and not see the other hurt? "I'm going to take it! He's the only man for me."

"Who? The gleeman?" Tracey teased with an impish grin, "Bit old for my taste."

"He was probably a bit old for any woman's taste." Alicia barked in laughter.

Luna stomped her foot in vehement declaration, "Harry! I want him only. He's the only man I'll ever love!"

"Told you all the girl knows what she wants." Tracey laughed even harder now, ignoring the baleful glares from Ginny and Daphne, "Personally I'm glad I have Blaise, and none of this drama you lot are all suffering from."

A statement that had all of the four witches not interested in being Harry's smirking in muted amusement. In Luna's mind she couldn't understand how one fell for any wizard other than Harry.

Hermione silenced them, "The warning bells!"

How had Luna missed those? It had to have been the accursed Arches' fault.

Novices came swarming by back to their rooms, one excitedly talking in a loud rush, "I heard it was that Liandrin Sedai!"

Another dashing by hollered in conspiratorial support, "I always knew she was an evil shrew!"

"But surely you all must have misheard!" a third cried in terror, "Why would Aes Sedai murder each other?" Others were whimpering support one way or the other.

"Come on you lot. We need to go and try to set up a defense of the Novices." Angelina barked authoritatively, ending any further discussion of Harry, or harems, or as she preferred Circles.

All during the catastrophe of Black Ajah Aes Sedai actually making an assault on the White Tower, Luna found herself woolgathering on the idea of sharing Harry. It was not an idea she relished on the whole by any means, but what girl wants to share the man of their dreams? A selfish part of her demanded she recant her hasty agreement. Yet if she did, logic stated that she would not even have a part of him when things fell into place. That was unthinkable and horrendous to her young heart and mind. Might as well have gave up skipping for a life filled with only misery and hardship. A fate she rather wished to avoid at all costs.

Besides it would also give her sisters of a sort. Parvati, her beloved Parvati, would not be angry with her as they could both keep Harry and each other. They would have an absolutely huge family together and the five near sisters would be able to help each other in times of loneliness and despair. Men did live such short lives in comparison to women. When Harry passes, the Circle would be stronger than as lonely singular, and most likely forgotten, widows. These facts all set her course quite well for her, even against the pro-ponderous weight of evidence that sharing would be a bad idea. Yet she could have all the people she loved most together as hers, a far sweeter sacrifice on the whole.

After the crises had passed, she informed the others. Harry was theirs and they would keep him safe and cherished as he should always have been. Convincing him would be trickier still.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Immersing herself in the journal of a Brown Sister that lived during the Trolloc wars was challenging by her limited knowledge of the Old Tongue. However Hermione persevered in this one woman quest for knowledge about Salazaar Slytherin's time on this world. Purportedly he was only a _scholarly friend_ of this Evaiya Sedai, though Slytherin's notes and reading between the lines of her diary told of a torrid affaire. Just one secret she could not share with these women who were actively recruiting her for the Brown Ajah.

Having been raised to Accepted, the Hogwarts witches were now a legally mined treasure trove for the Seven Ajahs whom most eagerly saw the potential in the nine teens. Brown and White were both taking keen interest in Hermione's mind, which tantalized the two Ajahs of knowledge and logic. Though she was also leaning some towards the Blue as well as the Brown that had thrown open their arms for her. Whites turned her off emotionally as well as intellectually, as they disregarded what has been studied and tested throughout time in favor of the logical approach of the current moment. Whereas Blues had a sense of direction that appealed to Hermione's sense of seeing changes brought where needed. To have a goal meant a sold definable destination. Then again the Brown did not shy away from the pursuit of knowledge simply because it was a difficult long journey. She was conflicted but overjoyed to be a prize instead of a byword.

For the other girls it was just as diverse and surprising a variety opened to them and what the future might hold for them. Angelina and Alicia, whom had wore the banded dress the longest were assuring the younger girls that it was not vital to choose immediately. Though the pair were near locks for the Green Ajah, and the Battle Ajah knew it by how they dominated the Gryffindor Quidditch duo's time in training and socializing near completely. Padma was being courted by the Green also, but it was clear she favored the Yellow or White more, even though neither Ajah had the custom of wedding their Warders. Few in the group saw her as going Green, and secretly Hermione hoped her study buddy would possibly consider Brown a possibility. Blue was contesting Green's influence on Ginny, Daphne, Tracey, and Parvati and creating fodder for some lively debates amongst the Hogwarts girls. If Hermione was forced to wager, her bets would be that Ginny would go Blue and that Parvati was destined for the Green, but not those other two. That pair were not so secretly inclined towards the Greys and that sorts inherent need for Daes Dae'mar as it was the basis for political power brokering. Which left Luna. The oddity among the group of teen witches. She was a natural born White, but ironically the Red Ajah was following her progress as if she would choose the Ajah over the love she bore for Harry.

She shook herself to return to her reading.

 _"Dim light from the unnaturally turned moon and skewed stars made the Valley glow eerily. My dearest confidant Salazaar was smirking as I beheld a massive fortress beside a lake. A lake he swore held a people half men, half fish. A strange combination not created by the Shadow but the Creator. But these were not alone in this amazing circumstance as the grim forbidding forest of this region held men half akin to horses!_

 _None of this mattered in comparison to the reason for this unbelievable trip, the Keep he claimed held his greatest achievements, and was most keen to show me. Built by him and his closest of friends and rivals, three souls that were Wilders all, that taught hoards of the young to be as they in the use of the One Power. And that was the most perplexing and no small sum vexing, for they were all Wilders that channel with the aid of wooden ter'angreal that wove the One Power for them. Witnessing it was like seeing a woman from my old village knitting with needles._

 _The distressing truth is that these people actively cultivate male channelors, and evidently have no fear of the Taint destroying them. Not a one has ever gave evidence of that dread counter stroke of the Dark One. That is until my friend Salazaar, whom has been exhibiting odder behavior than is even normal for him. Light preserve us as these people hold no fear of the Taint, yet one of their greatest leaders is likely to be lost to it. This is more reason to fight on in my hopes of finding the cure for this foul stain on our kinds male half._

 _When we finally did return from that mirror world I was witness to the undeniable reason my beloved friend is out of place often as not. For as we have returned, I found myself hidden by the Mask and the Mirror as I watched an all to familiar slip of a girl ride off to face a new life I know quite well. Salazaar is such a dear as he held my hand tenderly. It simply must be that the laws of time and space move in unusual ways on his home plane. He seems to not wish to let me out of his sight and I find it exhilarating as well as annoying._

 _Before I lose my train of thought I must once more mention that his home world, and indeed all of the mirror world's accessible through that lonely portal stone are out of my reach. I simply lack the power to activate and put to use the marvelous remnant of the Ages past. Therefore without his aid, I'll never be able to truly study the phenomena that is his plane._

 _I have little idea where he went but miss him sorely. So tragic is the loss of his comforting nearness that I struggle to think some days. If he is a victim of the Taint the universe is a poorer place for it. Such magnificent knowledge and fortitude. Forever a black hole..."_ the rest was partially lost in a fire during the Trolloc Wars, but it was still heart rending to know more from others sources.

Hermione knew how madly in love Slytherin was with this woman. He wrote of her with tearful reverence. A shame that it would not do to let the Brown Ajah know that this heroic figure of her home world had three children by this forgotten witch. That is why there is no record of his ever having a wife or mistress back home, but had plenty of heirs. These two shared a love that spanned worlds, Ages, and social norms. It was a tragic romance that left Hermione a bit weepy every time she read it.

Her studies into the fascinating Founder revealed him to be a very private man. This long lost Brown Sister was his greatest love but not the only one. Eviaya Sedai was his fifth lover from this world. He also lost a witch when the Collam Daan fell during the drilling of the Bore. The child born to him there had went on to become the Bloody Baron. One woman was captured and tortured by Semirhage, one of what this world calls the Forsaken, who was seeking information on Slytherin's home world. There was a mad witch that committed suicide during the Breaking. And then there was a mystery woman that encouraged him in creating what he called "The Well of Memories". But that woman's history is shrouded by the man when he inexplicably began writing in kuniaform. He might already have been suffering from the Taint even then, though he claimed it was not present _back home, but time itself was off instead._

That last bothered her. What she had read of Slytherin is that he had lived among the people of this world and the others at strange intervals. He even wrote how he had first met this Brown before he met his _second stolen lover from here._ How could life be changed when they returned home? If they ever could that is.

Shuddering she closed the aged diary. Tonight she was to begin studies with Searin on the proper examination of ter'angreal. If they found their way home again, it would be advantageous to figuring out if Slytherin's carefully collected cache was exactly as he claimed it to be.

Making ready to leave she ran into Emmatilde, still in her Novice whites even as her friend Else Grinwell was sent packing just a couple weeks ago. The two silly ninnies had tried to sneak down to eat with the Warder trainees. Though Harry may have had a hand in saving Emmatilde from being shuffled off by some means he never shared with the world. It seemed he just talked the Amyrlin and Hall out of it in one hour behind closed doors. Not even the Sisters who were there can exactly remember why they relented in favor of Emm.

"Hermione! Elayne, Egwene, and Nyneave have returned! I heard something about people called ShawnChin and... and that Egwene had used that One Power as a weapon." Emmatilde excitedly blurted out. "They're to be punished for running away! Can you imagine that? Those three being punished."

Thinking of how often Harry, the supposedly favorite of Dumbledore back at Hogwarts was punished, Hermione snorted, "The greater one's potential and standing raises the standard one is held to. Come on we should tell the others."

"Seandra is still scrubbing pots." Emm grimaced. The red head had forgot to curtsy to Elaida a few days back. "She wasn't in a good mood."

"Can you blame her?" Hermione giggled a bit mean spiritedly, "I'd die if Harry only saw me in the pots."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Having a break time Ginny and Daphne were watching their man Harry dueling Gawyn Trakand. Both boys had grace and dedication bolstered by an unwillingness to ever give over to the other. Though Harry was the better fighter, he was also younger which gave him less strength. But unlike Harry, Gawyn had never faced death like some unwelcome paramour that never seemed to leave. This point of perspective gave their man the edge in this battle of wills and practice weapons.

Some would be foolish enough to consider Galad Damodred as the master of the practice yard. They would be wrong, as these two had the hardness of conviction to keep fighting even at great loss. And of the two, only Harry had the primal survival instinct in him to never back away from fighting to protect those he loves.

"Harjit has improved well enough Elin Sedai. He's a fine one and as hardy as they come. If you wish it, I can call him over to make introductions. Just a word of warning, he has an Accepted as a betrothed, but she is far from getting her Shawl yet. In my estimation as she is so young and rabidly dedicated to becoming a full Sister and those sort eventually drop good lads like him out of piques of self importance." said a Warder by the name of Hammar.

"He's the one with the scar right? It shall be interesting to study him. Yes I will bond him. He offers an Aes Sedai, with any sense, too much to simply pass up." Elin Sedai declared while shifting her newly acquired Shawl back into place.

Ginny bristled at the cow's blatant thought of man stealing, all of the Hogwarts witches have swept a floor or two with the puffed up harpy.

Yet she had the right to bond a Warder and none in her Circle could. Not even Parvati whom was listed as his betrothed. How could they put a stop to this if the woman had decided to poach Harry from them?

"Bloody man poaching slag is out for our man." Daphne hissed in English, "Bint best pray I don't catch her if she does."

Harry and Gawyn were still locked in their titanic struggle for dominance, and as a result were taking a bit of effort to have them stop. Ginny was panicked that she might lose Harry if there is some law that allows an Aes Sedai to bond him without his permission. Even if there wasn't, or something that forbid them stealing the man's choice away from him, Aes Sedai thrived on bending rules when it suited them.

Seeing her brothers, Ginny signaled them and pointed to Elin Sedai, then to Harry, whom had just stopped his dual with the Andoran royal. "Oh I hope they can do something." She worried, gripping Daph's hand tight.

Biting her lip Daphne whispered, "Something's about to happen. I felt a... a chill. Something big and we need to be ready for it."

Ginny scowled at that. Each of the Hogwarts witches had started to exhibit new Talents after their training had begun in earnest. Daphne's was called _Listening to the Wind_ , or more to the point, storm prediction. Some claimed a few truly gifted in it could forecast not only the storms of nature but also those of mankind's manufacture. On the whole this sounded far more useful to Ginny than her own less spectacular _Flame Speaking_. She could send her voice out through any flame as long as she knew where it is more or less. Plus if some one talks near it, she can hear them. But this is limited by size, distance, and the number of individual fires in close proximity. If it's only a single tiny candle flame, the speaker has to almost have it with in an inch of their mouths. Fun but hardly as cool as knowing what the future may hold.

Fred signaled that he understood as Harry shook hands with Gawyn. George lit his pipe and whispered into his tapir, "You'll love this, Firefly."

Waltzing nonchalantly Fred placed a Canary Cream on the Aes Sedai's plate of food and Transfigured it into looking like all the other figs it sat on. Once that was done he had his wand hidden away with hardly a movement or show. He was so quick and smooth at this she remembered how skilled the twins were at the art of slight of hand. It frightened her too, as none of the boys ever admitted to using magic or Saidin, but her brother never batted an eye at casting that spell here. Only Harry was known to have used it so open and willfully before.

Striding up Harry, their lovely magnificent Harry, looked ill at ease being summoned to speak with the newly raised Sister. It was said that if it were not for Galad and Gawyn, Harry and Neville would be snatching up all the attention of the ladies of the White Tower. As it were, nearly every no nonsense witch without her own Gaiden, or the exuberant collection happy Greens with plenty, were making bids for them. The other three Hogwarts wizards were garnering a modicum of attention as well, but not anywhere near as much in comparison.

"Aes Sedai." Harry bowed and stared at the woman defiantly to run her off, sadly this had her grinning even wider.

Elin's cat like grin belayed her brusque tone, "No need for bluster. I've come for you as we both are in need of each other. You have nearly completed your training and as you can see, I have completed mine. You need an Aes Sedai that has little desire to travel about the world, what with your need of being freed from that foul scar. Then there is myself who has need of a solid unassuming Warder. We fit and I believe we shall do well by each other. Care for a fig?"

Harry eyed the woman then nodded acceptance, "Yes to the fig, but no to the other. I am spoken for and my love does not waver Sister."

Ginny couldn't help cringing at the sight of the Brown Sister, Elin Sedai, digging up a handful of her figs, handing one over to Harry. The man stealer even brazenly let her fingers drift over Harry's hand in the offing. Then with languid ease she took to eating one.

Elin primly spoke between slowly taken bites, "Love? An Aes Sedai has little need for that. I can give you the physical aspects of a relationship. In fact I enjoy those moments readily enough to make it fun for both of us. And in time your silly goose of a girl's memory will fade in both of you. When it does we two will live rather comfortably together."

Harry had yet to take a bite of his. He had yet to glance towards Ginny and Daphne either.

Dashing in was a huffing and puffing Emmatilde and Hermione. Well the first was dashing what with the latter carting a mountain of books a pace or two behind. Emm announced in a load pant, "Elayne and the others are back!"

Harry popped his fig into his mouth while turning to speak. However,"Poof!" he was transfigured into a stunning canary with marvelous plumage.

Ginny had to laugh at the shock on everyone's faces. She struggled to breath after Elin Sedai delved the figs with Saidar.


	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

$= Parseltongue

 **Chapter Twenty Four: She Moved Through the Fair**

Awakening in the early morning, Harry felt tenderly at his scar. Lighting a lamp he dressed silently as he could. Of late he'd been having trouble from his scar keeping him from sleeping properly, leaving him tired like too little butter scraped across too much toast. Fighting it off and the constant worry that some over zealous Aes Sedai would discover he was a male channelor in their delving the blasted mark, Harry made ready for the day. Today he would be facing off with both Galad and Gawyn to test a theory that they could not best him and that once that was clear, the rest of the trainees would realize they had to work harder too. He knew the pair were extraordinarily gifted bladesmen, but that did not give their mates a free pass to not work as hard.

Plus Gawyn was unnaturally attracted to spending too much time with Elaida's known cabal of Red Sisters. An unhealthy alliance for a supposed Warder trainee to fall under. More if the boy thought to win that remarkable, if once more missing, witch Egwene that the boy's sister Elayne had taken up with. Both of whom were like as not going Blue by how that Ajah treated the pair, which would make them political enemies of Elaida.

Harry hated idiots, no matter how talented they were.

It was well past time he knocked those two flat on their precious royal backsides. However once he deposited them there they would not be willing to let well enough alone. Galad was still out of sorts at being thrashed by that fellow with the quarterstaff, more so when the Hogwarts five cleaned up on betting for the stranger. A day Harry marked down as a very fine one as it put the pair of lordlings into the spot that any other trainee should start at, the need to prove themselves. Thus they had to accept this days festivities to save face. He knew he could best them and thus far only outside forces have saved the duo, as if the Wheel itself was intervening on their be halves. This wasn't a wishful delusion on his part. He'd already brought them to nearly collapsing often enough by not yielding what ever the physical cost to himself. An ongoing battle that resulted in having not a one of their blithering lazy sycophants challenge him any more. Today was the day he'd finish the foppish pair so that everyone would stop with the fawning and simpering to actually train like they all signed up for.

"I love you Harry." his neatly trimmed lamp's flame tinkled with Ginny's voice. "We need to talk."

Smiling with an amused shake of his head, he leaned in close to it and whispered, "I love you too Gin. Have I supposedly done something again? And can it wait, I'm getting ready to be rather busy today?" He remembered when him and the other boys learned of Gin's Talent. She was a bit in a snit over some misunderstanding that he was supposedly meeting Seandra on the sly. Nothing near the truth as it was a rumor started by a Novice upset with his trouncing her crush on the Training Yard.

One night having his shaving lamp sobbing inconsolably in Gin's tearful voice as he tried to keep his beard with in Tower regulations was startling. This had been only a few scant days after his love's testing for the banded dress. Then his lamp, speaking in her voice as if talking to some one, who turned out to be Daphne, Hermione, and Parvati began to discuss him in tearful wails. What his beloved were all deciding on was if he truly loved them or if they were deluding themselves. He didn't know if he was experiencing Taint madness or not, but his squawked rebuttal had Ginny yelping in fright. He only learned later of what had taken place when some Novices kept flinching when they looked his way as if he was getting ready to thrash them.

"No. Just meet us in the High Market this morning, and plan on making a day of it. Everyone sends their love and kisses." Ginny's tiny voice gigglingly commanded.

"Fine, " he sighed in response, "though I was planning on giving our resident royals a right drubbing they've been over due for." He tried to get her, and probably the others, to listen and let him do what he's been working towards for close to a year.

"Please... we'll make it well worth your giving up a bit of play time." Ginny wheedled, crushing his will to resist. It wasn't fair how they knew it was neigh impossible to deny them anything. "We promise you won't regret it."

Taking a deep breath he yielded to the inevitable as they held his heart so reverently on the whole, "I know you lot will, and I know that spending some time snogging the lot of you will make more than my day. I will make myself at your full disposals."

His reply seemed to cause his lamp's tiny yellow flame turn a blushing pink.

"Well hold you to it." she giggled after a second or two. Then it returned to its normal glowing voiceless hue.

Thinking on what the girls could possibly want of him could take longer than just going and seeing first hand. Why they would risk them being discovered by going as a group meant something big was in the works. Avoiding his getting sidetracked by worry, he began concentrating on finding a way out of training for the day to do as they wished. It was a right rotten mess as he did not wish to look weak or afraid of the two fops. As long as they feared him, they would not be able to stand up against him long. Otherwise he'd have to start his campaign from near scratch to beat them back down. It had taken months to wear down their wills to face him like this.

Straightening up his uniform to a crisp sharpness, he entered the Void to calm himself down. Beating the two lordlings was secondary to his love and devotion to the five witches he could not see himself living without. They mattered more to him than his own life. He would see them safely home, then he'd ride hard for the Blight and let the Shadow feel the rage of a defiant Englishman. His loves wouldn't understand this about him, but he could feel the evil in his scar grow more twisted and malignant. Signs that he was clearly a danger to those back home. If it took him over, then he would be a hundred times worse than Lord Voldemort ever imagined being.

Somewhat satisfied with his appearance and how his twisting inner turmoil was put aside, he left the barracks. These days he lived in the Void and that strange throbbing untamed roaring seductive maelstrom it held tauntingly just out of reach on most days. Like the desire he had for the five witches that owned his heart, denial of his need for that power took a large dose of concentration. Giving in to its siren call was to accept death.

He was positive that mighty madness and its oily sheen of evil was Saidin and the Taint now. He'd let slip often enough, or actively sought it out now and again, to succeed in grasping hold of it. Once in his control it was sublime and terrifying in glorious insanity. Not even the Taint and the doom of that curse's touch would banish the burning urge to never let go. He'd not only held it when butchering those blighted Whitecloaks, but in too numerous instances to count now. Fearing for Parvati's precious life as she threw herself over him to guard him, to his shame as her would be Warder. Once he'd grown furious at a wanker for a sparring partner that took it in his head to target Harjit's scar. Grabbing the tosser's practice sword in a mailed fist. Harjit shattered the bloody thing. He'd done the same with the idiot if not for Neville's stern intervention. Then there was the time he'd grown to despair ever seeing his loves in the winter. He was on guard duty and a bit loopy from it all, thinking of them with worry as a gusting blizzard blew in, then he had Saidin in his grip. His sight shot off in five different directions, showing them all go about their days. A pleasant if initially confusing discovery that he managed a few more times till he realized how dangerously stupid he was being. After every time he was in that majestic chaos, he grew sick to varied degrees.

He knew his mates too were slowly succumbing to the call of Saidin by this sickness as a marker. Just recently Fred spent a day a touch delicate as if he'd drank to much, except he also kept seeing a cat that wasn't there as well. Blaise once heard voices in the shadows under his cot and had trouble following simple conversations. All of them were fighting a losing battle. They were wizards and using magic, or Saidin, was a part of their very being.

Out in the early morning light, Harjit struck off for the city and its High Market where the girls claimed they would be. If he got this done early, and convinced them to let him go, there was a chance he'd still get to give Galad and Gawyn what they deserved. He could hold out hope they'd see reason, right?

Thinking of his loves sent his scar wild once more. Pain from its feral writhing made him grit his teeth in a wince, but it was only a momentary discomfort compared to most other times. In the cold vast emptiness of the Void he'd found a respite from the pains of his life like his bloody scar, though he'd heard often as not that he came off as a cold hearted rotter for it. If only he could be free of the thrice cursed mark completely he could live like a decent, normal bloke. He'd be able to feel natural again. But then if wishes were fishes.

Strolling about this early let him see the city come alive. One place he saw had open up was a jeweler, and seeing the heavily reinforced shutters swing out toward him gave him thoughts that it called to him. If anything here was a place that he very well might find a gift for his witches. A gift to remember him by if things turned out bad like he suspected they were bound for soon. Not rings however, those would give the wrong idea and probably worsen this whole mess he'd let get away from him. His beloved witches would never wear widow's blacks for his sorry hide. He'd do his best to see they could live free lives as the vibrant free spirits they all were. Small gifts though may allow them to feel they still had his love and wouldn't go amiss by inconvenient misunderstandings.

Entering the small shop with the front stonework resembling a mountainside ironically enough as he fully planned on mining it for its worth. Once the door closed behind him, he was struck by one of those disconnected ethereal times in a person's life, sort of like entering Ollivander's so long ago. This was a place he had been destined and needed to visit sooner rather than later. As it were he felt he was coming in dangerously late.

A stiff necked older woman met him at the front. Long greying blonde hair framed a face that still held a hint of beauty, but also had endured hardships that he could only imagine. Cool hazel eyes weighed him judiciously before she spoke, her voice was coarser than he'd expected it would've been, but it was still not unpleasant.

"We don't give credit." she stated without preamble.

"There won't be a need for it. I've coin enough to make you fairly richer for my visit." he stated in equal flatness, "I seek special gifts for some young maidens that have set their heart on me, but I'm likely to be unable to give them what they want."

"You get the silly things in the family way?" the woman glared at him coldly, her hands balling into tight fists.

"No, I've not gave into that. They are one and all as innocent as the wind driven snow." he answered, resisting the need to claw at his scar by slipping in his control of the Void from her accusations. "I love them all, but know that I'm probably to be called to war if the future gets any darker."

Snorting, the woman eyed him with a wave towards a nearby display, "Young men are too eager to fling themselves on other men's big knives. You should consider giving that cat gutter and melon masher of your's up to marry one of these slips you claim to love. Love and life are too precious to let get carved up in the name of nobility. A good strapping lad such as yourself will do well with a fine little lass to keep you straight."

"Most likely true." he replied as that old dodger Thom had lectured him with the same argument, "But they deserve better than a sheepherder like me. There are much better than me but they won't accept that. I cherish them all and would give them the whole world. Sadly that doesn't turn out to include me specifically. All I'd do is hurt them."

"Then let them go." she suggested as if she thought him a Light cursed liar.

"Might as well give up breathing. They give me hope and a wish to be a better man. I find when I'm near them, I never want to leave. When I'm away, I need them more than the air I breath. I've wanted to walk away and let them live free, but I... I'm too weak to pull it off." he didn't know why it helped to talk with this complete stranger, but it did. A great weight was lifting from him as his words poured out. "This war coming will solve that soon enough I guess."

"Bah! You're a bloody jackdaw fool if you believe that. War will solve your troubles, but not those of your lovely ladies' troubles. Just build them is all if I don't miss my guess. If you do love them so deeply as you claim, let them have you. I'm not saying to go bed the ninnies, just to let them love you." she suggested with a snort of long suffering disgust, "Give them what they deserve and want. But may I suggest you need to choose one alone out of them. Stringing a girl on is plain cruel and meanspirited."

"I- Bugger that is what I know should be. I'm unable to though." he sighed in defeat, "Easier said than done I've found."

"Well consider it more than running off to impale yourself on some other jackdaw's pike." the woman wagged her finger in his face, "Now you want some trinket to amuse them?"

"Amuse? No. Tell them how deeply I love them, which is with my whole being? Yes. No cost is too much. But please no rings. Those would cause a strain on our balance." he confessed with his eyes taking note of her wide variety of these. "In our culture, those are a sign of our intention to marry. I won't widow them."

Frowning at his proclamation, the jeweler sniffed, "How about you buy a few anyway. Then when one of the dears truly catches you, one or more will be handy to have about." Though she was clearly disapproving of his life choices, her voice jingled with the sounds of his full coin purses. Merchants were always ready for a chin wag if there is a few large purchases involved.

Ignoring how she continued to scold him, he found her suggestion held merit nonetheless. Browsing through her selections in bewilderment, he was realizing that he was well out of his depths here. One case, on the wall behind her caught his attention though in its catching the morning light perfectly. It wasn't simply full of golden baubles or gem encrusted show pieces, but in that it was home to a collection of elegant sets that twinkled in subtle beauty. A veritable constellation of thirteen very distinct creations in sets of necklaces, earrings, bracelet, and ring that held an allure to his eyes. Each set was unique and would fit the girls rather well, but choosing the set or sets for which girl would have to wait as the morning bells were rung signaling he'd be running late.

"Blimey! Listen I want all those sets and," he was caught by a large boxed display of simple necklaces with simple onyx stone pendants, "those! For now they will get one of them till I've decided better. I've got to be going soon, if I'm to meet them in time in the High Market. I'd hate to be late for them." He sounded a right rotter, but he couldn't explain the truth in full to this woman, nor should he. Even as she mistakenly put in a delicate small chest, thirteen of these last minute additions. How the black stones flashed though pricked his mind with a personal desire of his own for some proper finery. "Do you have any ravens in a pin, or stags? I would like one for myself."

"Ravens?" the woman eyed him in stern curiosity, "Those are the Shadow's Eyes."

"They also happen to be part of my crest thank you very much." He cut back in frustration. He's supposed to be a lord of some sort and thus he must look the part. Blaise endlessly has drilled into them that they had to be aware how they look to the world. Lords in a world like this are respected more than a simple peasant ever could dream of.

"Odd choice for a signet lad." she was judging him again.

"It comes from my inheriting these weapons you've taken a dislike for. My father was a stag, my mother was a lily, others were lions and snakes. But I'm the one that was chosen to carry these by the Wheel, so I'm the Raven." he tried not to let his irritation best him.

"Well I can see why it fits you. You're as cold as the grave for a young buck." she sniffed in thought, "I guess I can make you one on commission, and it won't be without cost. I never work on credit or promises. Payment is expected up front."

He weighed that then drew off the heavy signet ring on his finger, "Do it. One like this, and add a rampant lion and snake if you will." He pulled out one of his smaller near depleted public shopping purses, "Will this cover things?"

She studied his ring and weighed his purse. "It might, and I'll be sure to list my expenses for you milord. Or would you prefer I send the order on to you?"

"Send it onto Harjit Truhart in the White Tower. I'm training to be a Warder." he decided, taking his ring, available purchases, and leaving as quick as he could swearing violently at his pushing his luck with meeting his loves.

At a speedier clip than most in the market districts, he wove a course through the early crowds. Realizing he was making himself a target by carting about openly his treasures from the jeweler, he found a quiet empty side ally to shove it into one of his travel bags.

"Harjit!" a man called out to him from the main boulevard. Looking out with a jump he sees one of the Warders that him and his mates were friends with. "I thought you would be making ready to thrash it out with the Andoran princes today."

"My betrothed has to meet me early in High Market for some reason. Her message left no room to back out." Harry laughed sheepishly, "Just an Accepted a few months and already acting the Aes Sedai. As she holds my heart, I follow."

Smirking the man joined him in the ally, "I'll tell Hammar. Seeing you here brings up something you and I need to talk about. Me and the other bonded Warders have decided its well past time to let you know of a few things. Girls that come to the Tower with bucks like you and some of your friends don't often remember those lads when they've finally attained their Shawls. I know you and Frank have that pair of twins, but they may one day leave you lot for younger lads when all is said and done. We see you lot out there on the yard setting yourselves apart from the rest out there as if you were one of us bonded. Those other lads are in need of shaping up but you lot of boys need to remember that the world is much wider than those slips you wait for. Aes Sedai don't often join us in battle on the butcher's yard, but all us blade brothers most likely will be riding at your side."

Harry listened to the man with a sigh, "Are you saying that me and my mates are lording things over the rest? We're just dedicated to seeing our loves and friends protected and safe."

"Laudable but never forget we're a brotherhood," his friend smirked, "even with the two princes you hate so dearly. Don't worry, Hammar is sitting that pair down as well as they've missed learning the same truth."

"Brilliant." Harry grumbled, wishing he could explain that it wasn't so much that he hated the pair, but wished everyone would be as dedicated as he felt they should be. They were there to learn how to protect an Aes Sedai's life not be some pretty boys to be ogled, though that seems to occur nonetheless.

"Listen lad, you young bucks are joining a brotherhood that was created to fight the shadow and see that our bonded Sisters are safe, but never forget it is a brotherhood. We are all here to do those things, as that is all the Wheel has left us men as a way to defy the Shadow, but a solitary Warder is not an army unto themselves. Without your fellow Brothers of the Blade at your side, no man can long fight the whole Endless War against the Shadow we are all soldiers in. Don't ever forget that." his friend offered with a wry smile.

Harjit Truhart was dutifully listening to this and trying to absorb it, but Harry Potter's raising was resisting vehemently. Harry Potter, forgotten boy wizard, had learned he had to stand alone against all the world because there was no one else at his side for most of his life. The boy either stood alone or he was crushed under heel by nearly everyone he knew. Harry Potter was raised in the harsh war of himself against the formidable foes of Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, Cousin Dudley, Aunt Marge, and seemingly the entire rest of the world. Friendship and comradery were alien concepts to the boy till Hagrid burst into his life followed by Hogwarts, but even then it was only a few that would stand with him. Mostly this was solely Hermione as he discovered from facing disaster year in and year out at his former school and life. Proof of this came glaringly to light by how seemingly the rest of the world abandoned him as a lying tiny scrap of paper was spit out of the Goblet of Fire, leaving him alone to face a murderous tournament save for Hermione's stalwart aid. Only after he bested the First Task did the world act like they returned to his side.

Coming to this world with his close band of friends expanded his sense of those he knew he could trust, but in a way it was not that large an increase in his world view. So instead of one or two, he was now up to fourteen to sixteen but that is still far from an army.

Hesitantly he nodded his nascent comprehension of this Brotherhood of the Blade. "I'll try to adjust myself to this. I've never really thought of being one of many before."

Chuckling the fellow clapped him on the shoulder, "Neither did I. No Warder ever does I think. We grow up hearing all the glorious tales of the mighty lone Warder riding the Blight and setting the world to rights, but the truth is that we are never going to be strong enough to face all that alone. Any fool that tries ends up leaving an empty saddle and a broken hearted Aes Sedai to face life and the hordes of the Dark One alone. It's a hard lesson to come to grips with, but nevertheless true. I volunteered to tell you all this out of friendship, and out of my own duty to my own Chesarin."

Harry felt his guard go up at that last bit, but he was determined to be the best unbonded Warder to his five loves that he could be so he listened on. "Uhh... How is that?"

"Me and Chesarin have rode many miles and years alone since Belrig's loss in the Aiel War, but we never felt comfortable with the idea of bringing in another Warder till now. Harjit, you've got the heart of steel that could do well for my Ches, I think. For her part, she has watched you and sees a lad that she thinks has the fortitude to stand at my side. Plus she may not say it, but she and I both see the same fire Belrig carried for life. We've come to the same conclusion that you may possibly be the only man we could trust to ride with us in this life. I know you and that little slip of an Accepted are close. May even be in love at this moment, but lad, hardly ever does it turn out that a girl in the Tower stays in love with her young bucks. Just consider our offer as a possible home for you. A stalwart lad like you shouldn't be wasted by a broken heart that some slip carelessly forgets." His friend offered with a concerned grin, "Ches will care for you like a son she never had, and to me you'll be my little brother that I lost in Belrig's death."

Harry was floored by the offer. Most of the like were made by a Sister in some half flippant command, or occasionally by other Accepted that are to be raised very soon with hints of rolls in the sheets. This was a man offering him a family of sorts. Hardly anyone in Harry's life gave such an invitation to him. However Harjit knew that he had a family already, though he was afraid he'd be forced to abandon it in order to save it in the end.

Slapping him on the back, his friend chuckled, "Just think on it, lad. Ches isn't some silly newly raised Sister that only sees you as a toy to play with. We'd hate to see you wind up with one like that as much as we fear your betrothed possibly tossing you aside."

The fellow left with a grinning, "I'll tell Hammar where you are. It will give him more time to set your royal brothers straight as well. All of you boys are too young and talented to lose to petty squabbling."

Bowing and hurrying away Harry had to shiver at the thought of being bonded by the type of Sisters that his friend spoke of. This is not to say that he was ever going to let anyone bond him because of his being a Taint ridden soul, but the thought of just living as a pet or toy gave him the creeps. Dodging being bonded was getting to be trickier by the day. He'd even taken to avoiding any Healing by any Aes Sedai of the Green or of another Ajah that had not taken a Gaiden yet. It was just best to avoid any sticky _mistakes_ , than to be taken unawares with no way out.

Stopped by a flower girl's inviting wide hopeful eyes, he saw and smelled a delicate treasure that banished his fears of Warder hunting Sisters. In the wooden crate she wore, was a garden's worth of flowers filling his eyes with a rainbow of colors as profuse as their scent wafting in the air. Her long brown hair reminded him of his Hermione in a way, as did her eyes blue depths gave him visions of Luna. Her hopeful quiet smile had the faint traces of Ginny's enthusiastic approach to life, while her carriage was almost as regal as Daphne's.

Startlingly her musical voice floated into his ears nearly as easily as Parvati's as she asked, "Would you care for a flower, Sir?"

It took him a second or two to refocus his mind as the Void was slipping from his grasp under the onslaught of how greedily he stowed away memories and images of his five loves. They truly did own his heart, and he was unsure how he could part with them. It was impossible to stay, but he wanted to so deeply it hurt.

"Sir?" the flower girl questioned carefully.

Cursing himself for being an idiotic cad, he replied while digging out five fat Andoran Gold Crowns for the pretty girl, "Have a bit of fun on me. I'll take the lot."

She could do well with those, and it would be nice to see someone have a slice of joy from something he did for once. Judging how she shyly glanced at the brooding blond boy that sat not too far away with his massive sword strapped to his back, she saw the potential of the five coins. Though the boy's startling blue eyes were weighing if Harjit was a threat to their long term health.

Smirking at the bloke Harry simply responded by digging into the box of flowers to set up five individual bouquets for his five angels. Catching the unsure tenderness in the boy as the girl was taken into the lad's arms distracted Harry from his own anxiety in the strange journey of love. The pair were a fine couple that could burn brightly across the Ages and mirror Earths.

"At least I'm not the only poor blighter with wild hair." he noted to himself as he parted from the pair and the now empty box.

Five was a scary number for him, but even one terrified him in his condition. However his mind just shut down every time he'd try to contemplate choosing one of his loves. It was not for some twisted wish to live like this or string the lot on. Having a single girl he could devote all his love to was what he craved, but he loved these five with all his heart. He couldn't help snorting at the thought that this was what he needed, or was it deserved for being such an indecisive twit.

Oh but how he felt alive in the warmth of the love shining in their eyes.

Woolgathering on this to an extent, he nearly ran over a woman. One he vaguely knew and felt a disconnected sense that she was important to him. A ghostly touch of a lost hunger and passion that boiled in the shadowy depths of his soul. Hazy as if not to ever have been, but there were glimpses and feathery remembered touches of a fiery love that could rival the best of Shakespear or Hollywood's fairytales. He had felt this growing before in the presence of Elayne till she disappeared again. The pair's friend Egwene almost had a touch of this for him and then not as he had moments that he truly found himself fascinated by her. Which was aggravating as she was clearly Gawyn's witch, if the knotheaded looby would ever wake up to this.

Wading through the churning flood of images of how fine this woman here looked in a pair of breeches that snugly highlighted her enticing legs, he tried to banish thoughts of all three girls from his already overfull head. Though she may be wearing a long incongruous dress, her swaying steps could enchant a man into thinking untoward thoughts. Then again her long billowy dress only drew him deeper into the certainty that they were truly a pair.

Impossible but it was there like a condemning truth as evidence of his rightfully earned official status as a right rotten cad.

"Gawyn! I swear I- ohh, wait sorry. Bloody man is going to be the death of me. Sorry for- hold up, your that Harjit. The too pretty sheepherder with ice for veins. You," her eyes met his with some recognition, bringing a light slow blush to her cheeks. Neither of them could find words for a moment as they stood like an island in the bustling street. His mind replaying cloudy memories or images of her delicate face closing in for kisses or to a private forgotten conversation. It was shattering his direly needed grip on the Void.

"You're the one Gawyn says hates him, but he's never understood why. The only other sheepherder on the training yard to give Galad a run for his coin for the coldest heart. I don't see... You're not are you. A heart is in there, hidden. Maybe that's why... never mind me. I'm a bit distracted..." her eyes were searching his as if she was caught by the same illusive sensations he felt about her.

"Uh... well I don't specifically hate Gawyn. I just... I can't explain it. Well please pardon me for being an idiot for running you over. I'm sorry as I'm a bit distracted myself." he tried to extricate them both from this unreal collision.

Her hand half lifted as if to brush the hair from his face like how all his loves adored doing, her eyes were studying the space above his head with frighteningly intense focus, "Thirteen beloved lights to guard and be guarded by the Once Fallen Raven. Two souls are cut free in the shining White Fire sealed by the Lost First and Final. One in the fire of love, for the shared Fallen Love, so that the Serpentine Thief of Life can be banished by the Unified Fires. May the bleak blood darkened Tower of the Ebon Winged forever stand."

There was a pair of arguing housewives bustling by bumping them in the offing. This jarring intrusion pushes them a step apart and back into the here and now. With a shaken glance at her hand, she mumbled, "Oh sorry, I have funny moments now and again. I really don't know... Pardon me this time I guess, my name is El-."

"It's okay Min." he blurted out unsure where he heard her name before. "I... uh..."

"Need to be going?" she supplies with out meeting his eyes as she stares in disbelief at her hand, "I have the same... feeling."

He didn't know where any of this came from but felt he had to add softly, "Tell Elayne and... all of you please take care." he finished lamely, but she merely nodded and wandered away. Her departure had his soul cursing himself and the bloody minded Pattern.

It was unquestionable that Min was more than special to him, but he was baffled as to why. That was hammered home by how painful it was to watch her vanishing into the crowd. The sway of her hips and the one last glance back his way had his chest clinch tight while his throat stifled his breath from the sense of unbearable loss.

"Where is this bloody well all coming from?" he let out while trembling still from the anguish, "I don't even know her."

"How can I say that? How can I say that I don't know the love of my life?" a voice in his head questioned in confusion. "Light if the Women's Circle learn of this I'll be hung by my ears. How can I be in love with three women? It's wrong but I love them all. Will they forgive me when I die?"

"Who are you and what are you doing in my head?" Harry snapped in horror.

"I... I'm me, who else would I be? Who are you? And why are you in my head?" another older voice filled the silence of his mind, "I demand you leave. There are things I absolutely must be about. Illyena... where are you hiding my love? I must speak with you, this can not wait till I return."

"Bugger I am slipping!" Harjit blurted out in English, feeling the rumbling urgency to unburden his stomach. The Taint truly did have him fully, "Oh Merlin, I've done it now."

Biting his knuckle he staggers drunkenly to some shade in the side gate to a bakery in order to catch some cooling breaths. Inhaling deeply through his mouth to prevent his humiliation, he was awash in the dread he was now a walking dead man. Shaking like a leaf he began to lose control of the Void even while remaining in custody of his breakfast. Having people in his dreams was nothing like this. He'd seen plenty of invaders to his slumbers, but this was in the daylight and while he was supposedly in full mastery of himself.

Taming his fractured hold on reality took a good half hour or so of deep calming breaths. With time he found his center and was slowly regaining his desire that had fled in the aftermath of his mental break to face the girls he treasured so dearly. They must not hear of his affliction. All five would like as not try to Heal him, though there was no way to do so.

Wandering the High Market in search of his loves did temporarily take his mind off the grim fact that his days were limited. If he thought too long on it, he was likely to run off and face the Blight right then. He was just too dangerous to be around.

The Wheel must have felt otherwise as hands clapped over his eyes from behind, a musical voice that never got old for him to hear cheered, "Guess who?"

Quick as silk he spun with a laugh, "Parvati!" His reward was a playful pout that he vanquished with a snogging that had his dusky angel swooning in a wave of tiny giggles.

Gazing into her twinkling dark eyes, he forgets his floral burden as well as his certified insanity, he hoists her up into his arms with a spin of joy. Laughter bubbles up from his belly as she too lets out a squealing laugh of joy with her arms balancing her so they never break eye contact. Each of them were swimming in the seas of the other's love filled gazes, till she captures his lips with hers in a hungry kiss that sends joy to the heavens.

"Light I've missed that." he shares a smile with her as they press their foreheads together to steady the still spinning world for them. Seeking and receiving another but softer kiss he sighs in renewed hope, "I've missed you even more Parvati, my love."

"So have I, my Truhart." she whispers while nuzzling their noses together.

Setting her down, he saw a determination put steel in her carriage. Hope tempered her serious tone as she petted his shoulders with longing, "We have to catch up to the others. There are things we have to discuss today. My love, you need to have some protection only we can give you. Besides we have invested too much in you to let others get in the way. Harjit, I love you and you belong to me, or us more to the point." Her eyes were pleading with him to hear what she has to say, but then she seen something over his shoulder and let out a second laughter of delight, "There's Gin, come on!" She went to drag him off except he remembered the dropped flowers.

Letting go of her hand to retrieve them all with care she slipped away from him. Fear that he may have damaged them leaves him to stumble along behind her as she shoots off to catch the flame tressed witch. Confusion at what she was beginning to tell him dulls the shocking horror of the buzzing rumor of a new False Dragon. It was just one of those days all manner of insanity was possible. Including his own it appeared, he thought at the sight of how breath taking Par's slender body moved deftly through the growing crowds. Following his love he was struck by the confusion of his encounter with Min by the similarities of the feelings evoked in his heart.

Min was nothing like his beloved Par, as the woman was not only older but also had the body Seamus would have been crowing ecstatically over. In fact Fleur Delacour was out shown by the strange slacks wearing Third Ager, whereas Par was willowy and moved with a grace that Min lacked. And yet he had the eerie feeling that the moments were mirrors of one another. This is not including how differently his desire and love for the two were. Par was a burning torch in his heart and soul, while Min left him with the feeling some would call deja vu if emotions could be such. What existed for Min was inexplicably real but still only a shadowy memory he held tucked away forgotten.

But memories could be dangerous, all he had to do to remember that lesson was to think of Tom Riddle's diary. Those came within a butterfly's breath of costing the lives of so many he knew. That year of his life was full of images of people he may have seen the last of if Riddle's mere memories had won the day. Daft blokes like that Colin Creevy and Justin Finch-Fletchley come to mind. Then there was that Penny Clearwater whom Percy fancied but Harry felt deserved someone better. However it was the possible losses of his Hermione and Ginny that chills him even now.

Parvati's catching Ginny has the red head turn and give him a smile that reaffirms the knowledge that even if he'd died as he defeated Voldemort that night, it was a cost well worth it. More as she slams into him with a cry of joy.

Her lips and his seek each other out in a long denied yearning that drives out the nagging fear of mad memories coming alive. Her arms entwine themselves about his neck while she sets fire to his world with her lips and moans of pleasure. Dim memories of a different red head seek to overlay the moment with a blanket of deep loss, but Gin's slight body pressing into his exorcizes Elayne's ghostly invasion. These two girls were his real loves, not what most likely the Taint was implanting in his mind of those two Third Age women.

"Light your beautiful." Ginny tittered with a bite of her bottom lip when they finally part, her eyes examine him as if he were a great work of art. She sighs into his gentle brushing kiss, "I love you Harry. I love you Harjit. I even love you milord Raven." that last was added with a kiss to the tip of his nose. "I love you."

He chuckled as Par leans into him as he replied, "I love you too Ginny." Meeting Par's eyes he breaks out with a wider smile, "Both of you are intoxicating to me."

Blushing the two take an arm apiece to lead him off in search of the others. Glimmering desire in Gin's eyes followed her finally seeing the five sets of flowers he bore. "Whose flowers?" The longing in her tone was light and expectant.

"There's one for each of you." he stopped their search to tell them, hesitant he was wrong in getting them these. "I know it's probably cheesy to bring flowers for a date, but I'm a bit new to the dating scene." He confessed with a blush heating his cheeks while handing them a set apiece.

Both of them were blushing furiously, but were inhaling deeply of the fragrant floral gifts. Relief split a smile across his face as he saw their faces glaze over in ecstacy, a sign he was taking for his doing right for once. They deserved only the best in life in his view of things. Strangely they all counted him as just such a thing, to his never ending incredulous surprise.

"They're wonderful. Living for so long in the initiates quarters has me missing walking through gardens and all the scents of flowers filling the air." his Parvati tittered after another sighing inhale of her bouquet, "I love them Harjit." She rewarded him by pulling him in for a light tender kiss that had her giggle, "Oh and your beard is coming in rather nicely, much less patchy I think." as her hand combed his freshly trimmed mane.

Ginny was not to be left out as she kissed him as well before he could frame an answer, "She's right, you're looking like a young lion. Though your mane tickles me terribly."

Amused at the moment as he was drifting in a sea of good cheer from their love for him he quips, "Well I guess I could shave and let Elaida have my guts for garters. I'd hate to let any one know I'm a Gryffindor to the core." Though a bit morbid, he was grinning at his own grim wit that him and the other Hogwarts wizards have been developing since coming to this Age and Earth. Going by how his pair of loves looked just then, he was the only one there to find it the least bit funny.

"Don't even think it. Par, we have to get him to the others quickly. It's past time if he thinks that was witty." Ginny grew a bit fierce, "Ange and Al said they thought Fred and George were turning grim. Tracey says the same of Blaise, so..." The two were sharing a determined grimace as they gave him a no options open directive, "Harjit, come with us. You're ours and no one or thing is going to take you from us. So no arguing or being noble, at least for the now."

Parvati's eyes bored into him as she stated softly, "We will fight to keep you, no matter what it costs us."

In even more confusion than he felt before, he let them take the lead. Maybe it was time for him to slip away. Tonight so that they would not have to face his insanity. Let them think he was still himself, and they would be spared having to watch the Red gleefully drag him down like a rabid dog. Duty demanded he do it that way, but his love and theirs had him chained securely in place, leashed to them as surely as if he were bonded to the lot.

High Market was beginning to team with life as they went. Shoppers, sellers, sneak thieves, and countless others filled its riotous world of commerce. Capitalism was alive and well here as what ever could be sold legally in Tar Valon, was in a dizzying variety. So too were many things that couldn't if the price was right, Harry wagered by how some in the mercantile mob bore shifty eyed stares for the multitudes about. With so many people here now, he feared it would be a miracle to locate the other three witches.

Along the way they did stop now and again to shop for a few needed things. Which they bought with minimal haggling in order to hurriedly pack it all away in their charmed travel bags. All from a larger tent, to a set of camp ready cookware were located and stowed for later use. Surreptitiously, he'd find things for all his friends but kept a sharper eye out for what would delight his loves the most. Buying and not letting them catch wind of these little splurges took exceptional guile and wit as they were watching him like a pair of hawks as if he'd vanish before their very eyes if they blinked. When he was slyly slipping a blue silk scarf away for Ginny, they caught sight of Luna gazing into a dress makers with a sad tilt to her head. Seemingly oblivious to them and the packed crowds, she stood as a tiny gold capped island in this chaotic capitalistic ocean surging about her.

"There you are." she spoke without glancing their way, "When we get back home, I'm going to buy a silver spangled dress. I've always wanted one, and now I have a few someones that I love dearly, to wear it for."

Gliding delicately over, she gave him a pointed look, "We all will be going home Harjit." She giggled and then threw herself into his arms to snog him into a smiling bliss, "Daddy will be pleased I've found a good husband, that or he'll make you into a pie." Her wide gentle eyes studied him while letting her hands roam over his shoulders and chest, "Now Harry its imperative we go find the others. We have much you must hear and I hope that you will listen to us. We all love you very much."

"We whole heartedly concur Luna." Par took Ginny's hand, whom was nodding with a sad smile that spread to the other two.

"Am I missing something?" he asked, feeling a bit alarmed at Luna's seeming guess of his plans and the three acting as if a terrible decision has been reached. Their words said one thing, but this sadness said another. The many warnings he had received from the Warders about girls losing interest in their boys flirted with his anxious mind. Yes, it meant he could freely ride for the Blight, but to lose their love would tear the heart from his chest too.

"Yes." the three replied in English with Ginny adding in Common, "But then you're a man. All of you are daft buggers."

That had them all chuckle fondly. He was hoping they still... But wouldn't it be best if they let him go? Isn't it what he wished? They would be able to go on living and not be mourning for his loss when he has to finally leave them to burn the Blight to the ground?

Parvati reached out and gingerly let her hand drift over his arm as if memorizing its feel. "It's up to us to fix things and we're working together to do just that."

"Don't worry, we love you. We all do." Luna airily purred while petting his other arm as well. They were frightening him in a way but he ached to trust them implicitly.

He should be running to the Blight. None of them deserved to be tortured by the sight of his being a mad monster. Besides they were likely letting him go... never mind their words.

Luna gently touched his face, "You are staying, or we'll all be going with you. Please don't abandon us..."

Her coyness and sincerity had his heart racing, and it nailed his feet to the street. He just could not break their hearts like that. That jeweler had made it fairly clear that is what his flight from them would do. But to stay would be just as cruel would it not? However thoughts of the jeweler brought up the memory of that florist and her brooding buck just paces away. Though the blond boy clearly looked ready to run off and do battle on the crimson fields, she was just as adamantly wishing to keep him home by her side.

That reminded him of his bouquets for the lot of his loves. "Luna, I hope you're not allergic to these." They had found out to the tiny blond's chagrin that Andoran, or more specifically Caemlyn Red Roses gave her dreadful fits during their winter in that far off city. An unfortunate turn as those bloomed out occasionally during even the coldest of winters.

Hesitantly, Luna smelled of her gift then laughed, "They smell of innocence and love. Oh Harry they're wonderful. I love them, and you even more." She proceeded to twirl with her face buried in her bouquet, humming a silly tune.

"Well that was by far better than the roses." Daphne laughed as she hustled to join them, "Do I get some?" Her eyes glowed with longing.

Meanwhile Luna must have dizzied herself as she staggered into Parvati giggling as both stumbled about till they were caught by him.

"He's a bit stingy. Only gives them out with a good snogging." Ginny teased, causing him to splutter and blush as him and Par had finally managed to stabilize the beaming Luna to where she could stand with Par's aid.

"That's a price that I'll gladly pay." his Slytherin goddess turned him about for a tender blushing kiss. At first it was soft and gentle, but they both deepened it quick as a flash. When they broke, they were both on the lightheaded side. "Merlin that was good. Though I can pay a bit more if you need it. I think you gave me a bit too much change mister mine, though I'm not complaining." She leaned into him smiling, "And I do so want those flowers."

"They were yours to begin with. That's the reason for the change, but I'm not adverse to another transaction or two." He laughed as the Void had long ago fled his grip in the flooding storm of all their love and attention. Though oddly the scar seemed to cower from this onslaught of emotions as well. "These sorts of negotiations can go on for lifetimes."

The girls all smugly encircled him with Parvati fondly caressing his face, "Good to know, but we want to make certain of it. Very certain my love."

"And that can't happen properly without Hermione." Daphne stated mysteriously.

Harry knew they were up to something but thinking clearly in the middle of them was not going to happen. Right then he could only revel in the love he felt for and from them. Among them he was more than just the freak in the cupboard, or even the lonely Gryffindor Golden Boy wizard. With them he was a king or better, and he dreaded the day he'd have to leave them for it. Though his desire to hold and love them was making his sense and reason skip town for a holiday to someplace in the tropics.

Thinking of them and him in such a local had him uncomfortably aware of how he wished he did have a future beyond...

"Harry," Luna lightly cut away his anxiety, "you don't have to hide from us. It's alright to be human, we don't need a statue or picture on the wall. Holding you is much nicer on the whole." Her wide eyes must be able to see into his very mind, but why could she not see the horrible truth that he was a condemned man?

Her and the others took to leading him away in search of Hermione, effectively pulling him out of his gloomy turn of thoughts. Drilled in training had him working to keep them safe. A defensive response to all the turmoil in his heart from all this they were trying to get him to understand. It was a miracle he could manage this even as each of these four kept touching him now and again. Every brushing contact was accompanied by a look of forlorn longing. It made him feel like they thought he was a priceless treasure they might lose in the next breath.

A shuddering tremor hit him at this becoming a reality in a way if his bout of schizophrenia was any indicator. Sane men might have nightmares, but they never heard voices arguing with them in their own heads. So he cautiously stowed up the memory of their faces for the day he'd see them all safely home so that he could Ride the Blight.

Luna caught his hand with a steely grip, "You belong to us Harry, we won't let you go." Then her grip loosened as her fingers entwined with his, "Don't give up on us. We'll never give up on you."

That left him speechless as Daphne slid her arm around his waist, hissing tenderly, $Just accept it Harry. We'll never let you or each other be alone ever again.$

Nervous at how easily they could decode his secrete thoughts made searching for Hermione an agitating torment. Could they not see that if he left, they would be the better for it? Plus the swelling ocean of humanity around them now was making hopes of finding his missing love harder and harder a task. Tar Valon may not be mighty modern London, but several hundred thousand souls jammed in winding half sized streets is a lot of people to wade through. Worry was edging its way into his thoughts, amplified by his scar's renewed burning defiance. Needles in haystacks are easier to locate he wagered as they searched.

To settle his nerves, even if it were risking his doom coming sooner, he tried to grab hold of Saidin to make use of that eye trick again. Sadly, and probably fortunately, today the One Power eluded him by acting like he was grasping onto a raging river running over a rapids.

"There she is by a book sellers cart!" Ginny cheered with a finger pointing the way, "Figures." That had the girls chuckle, but he was in a tail spin so he missed the humor. All he felt was relief that his love was in sight.

Charging through the hectic crowd, Harjit plows a hole for the rest to follow behind in. Looking up from a book she sees him and brightens into a smile that lifts away the veil of fear blanketing his eyes. Taking a moment she points to the Tower and indicates the whole cart. This has the seller's eyes near pop out of her head and indicates a jingling purse. His book loving friend turned lover pulls out a purse and hands it to the book dealer. Wearing an incredulous grimace the woman opens this only to gasp and near drop it. Catching it back before a single coin is lost, the saleswoman starts packing and organizing the lot. With that done, and Harry's finally breaking through the current of shopping humanity, his lovely ravenous reader demurely meets him with a passionate kiss that has them both moaning the other's name.

Staring into his eyes, she reaches up to trace the line of his jaw, "I hope you don't mind me sending these to you at the Tower. Not a one is anything I've seen on sale before except a couple nice copies of Jain Farstrider. Consider one a gift." She laid her head on his chest with a sigh of contentment, "Harry, do you know how much I love you?"

"I hope as much as I feel the same for you." he tilted her head up to kiss her nose.

"Your whiskers tickle something dreadful." she giggled with a reserved grin.

"I've been told that by some." he let out a laugh while capturing her lips again for a nuzzling kiss, deliberately brushing her face with his beard.

"Prat! Stop it! Well maybe not totally, but just for the now." she swatted his arm affectionately, "We've things to discuss first, and Harry please hear us out."

Here it was. He didn't know if he should set them straight or what not. If he wasn't so baffled by this all, as well as drowning in his chaotic emotions he'd have a chance to avoid trouble and hurting them. The warnings of his Warder friends about being chucked aside was savaging his heart even if he knew that was for the best. Then there was its cruel pack mate shredding into his soul that they may have decided to try and flee the Tower now to take him home. Since the Taint well and truly had him that may be even worse than staying and letting them see his dark end. But also snapping at his heels was another lesser but no doubt still terrifying fear. To heed the old proverb about troubles and evils, he chose to hope it was this one and prepared to speak.

"Let me guess. You all want me to decide finally. Hermione, I-." she cut him off with a look. Then with the other girls' support, led him into a nice side passage. Once in there they all took turns kissing him lovingly. Feeling intoxicated on their love, he knew they were planning something and was powerless to stop it.

"Are these for me?" Hermione caressed the remaining bouquet with a sigh of longing. "They're gorgeous."

"He only sells them for the price of a solid toe curler of a snogging." Daphne saucily winked from her leaning into his side.

"Oh well then, it's a good thing I have plenty of those laying around." Hermione replied with a blushing look of desire for him and the flowers. He didn't object to her laying claim to his lips, or how she was melting his mind. What flaming idiot would?

Taking her bouquet she looked lost in a dream as she inhaled her _purchase_ , seeing that look made him wonder again why he'd not truly seen how incredible a witch she was back home. He must have been a bigger idiot than even Ron could be.

Daphne's reclaiming his side and Ginny staking claim to his other, they had him dead to rights now. The time to retreat and regroup had long since past when he'd agreed to come here for them, and the lot knew it.

Holding hands, forming a siege chain of tenderness, they encircle him. His declared betrothed Parvati was the one to speak, "Truhart, we don't want you to choose. Ever. We've come to an agreement, and it is unanimous. We want to share you."

Gobsmacked as this was completely outside of what he'd been expecting, he leans back into the wall for support, "You...? But how?"

"Let us worry about that." Ginny stated in soft assurance, then sheepishly asked, "Please Harry, can you try this and not run off on us? We know all you boys are planning it in some way. We know what you all fear... But Harry, we love you and refuse to let go. Life without you would be colorless, if we could even manage to forgive ourselves for... Just please stay and let us love and find a way to save you."

Thoughts of that jeweler and her cutting words cut their way through his incomprehension, "Is this what all of you want? I won't accept if you're only doing this because I'm an idiotic git." He put it bluntly out there expecting to see hesitation. What he saw was anything but. "You're all barking!"

"No, worse Harry. We're in love." Daphne's twinkling amusement played in her eyes.

"We're in total agreement. We want and need to share." Luna chimed in authoritatively with a stunning smile she shared with Parvati, then the rest, then as one they leveled him with it. A telling blow to the gates of his heart's defenses. "Plus we want to bond you to all of us. We may have to wait till we've studied all the variables, but you are our Warder. If... If you want us at least."

Five pairs of eyes were pleading with him to yield to this. They were placing their lives and trust in him. This was not just a family they offered him like his friend had earlier, but a home for his and their hearts. That jeweler had sharply cut at his avoidance to choose and was even more critical of his plans to ride off for war. That flower girl's devotion to that wild haired beau of hers haunted him as he saw the same in these five gazing on him. This was not an offer of a newly raised Sister looking for a man to protect her by day and service her at night. They were gifting him with hope, home, and undying love.

"Okay if this is what you want, I'm yours." he gave in. Live and love. He's chosen to live and love, "I hope I don't bollox this up right and proper."

"We can live with that, as we all might hurt each other now and again." Daphne purred before kissing him softly, "But as long as we all work at it and remember that we love each other, we'll make it." She then took to snogging him into a semi giggling mess.

All of them took a turn and did the same every time. This was going to be a lot to get used to he decided. Yet he now had a path opening towards some sort of heaven through the madness of his life. It was distant and a treacherous battle through the forests of despair he'd grown up in, but it was still there in their five pairs of tender eyes.

He didn't have it in him to tell them of the voices.


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

AN: Big Warning, this Chapter contains adult content that may be too harsh for some readers. It is not a lemon or smut though. It was written in honor of a friend of mine that lost the will to go on surviving when those that should and could have done something ignored her. I will scream it from the highest rooftops, that rape is rape no matter who the victim or perpetrator is. For those of you out there that may not realize it, women can and regularly are rapists too. Never doubt that, as a penis is only one tool that can be used by such vile sorts.

The story will not deteriorate from this, for any concerned over that as it was written into the story from the start. And remember this is not a tale for the weak of heart.

Also this chapter will contain femslash, as will the rest of the story from now on.

As for my friend, I miss you still even after all these long years. One day we will laugh over a slice again. I pray this may help those who remain cast aside by the oblivious.

 **Chapter Twenty Five: The Other Side**

Orangish yellow soft candlelight suffused the cozy bedroom in a decidedly romantic glow as her loving Warder husband trailed kisses up her bare spine while she laid on her belly amongst her similarly reclined Circlemates. His strong rugged hands and cunning use of the One Power were working out all of the dastardly kinks of stress in her and their wives' backs. After so long a time of living on the edge of disaster, the strain had become near blinding for her. However here, under his tender care, her and her Circle were moaning in blissful release as he turned them all into squishy putty. The rich fresh scented mountain air of their home leaking in through the shuttered window only enhanced the liberating indulgence of this quiet moment. They were home and could freely partake of the calming peace of each other's presence in their lofty, secluded sanctuary away from the madhouse worlds they have lived, or live in. Here they were free to retreat from recrimination and what not, to live as they chose to live. To find solace in the only places they cared to find solace in, with each other whom they all have faced so much side by side.

Sharing a smile with her beloved Circlemate Hermione as they held hands and mutually reveled in their husband's attentive ministrations, Ginny wondered why she'd ever forgotten the idea of sharing Harry with her best friend. They both were closer than most sisters ever dream of being, and the thought of not having either Harry or Hermione in her life twisted her insides into knots even the Celts would have shunned. But here and now, she was safe and treasured by both an adoring husband and vibrant Circle, with said husband's hands now seeking out both hers and Hermione's secret places. Inspiring her into leaning over where she catches her wife's lips in a lingering kiss the brunet mews out her name from.

This was where she belonged, and judging by the gleam in Hermione's eyes, the feeling is wholeheartedly reciprocated. Though no one understands them all outside of their polygamous union, they were happily married.

"Gin," her brunet bestfriend and wife spoke so softly with a squeeze of their hands, "are you awake yet? Come on Gin. Gin? Oh for the Light's sake GET UP!"...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

... Yelping in weary alarm, Ginny surveyed her surroundings in blank incomprehension. Plain white stone walls and simple furniture had replaced the elegance of her vividly real dream. It was jarring to awaken to an austere life after momentarily grasping hold of what she considered to be heaven. This was her monastic like cell in the Accepted's Quarters, not that cheerfully romantic estate in the mountains. There she was part of a union with her gorgeous lover Harry and her beautiful Circle on a feathery soft bed heaped up in warm downy comforters. Here she was a lone witch tangled up in a thin course blanket on a cot that lost its comforting softness a couple thousand years ago. All told she dearly wished this was a mere nightmare and if she pinched herself extra hard she'd reawaken back into that heavenly moment. More when the dream was heating up to a rather fun, if decidedly naughty part.

Yawning she struggled to wake up. The sun was not quite up but then Accepted were not allowed the leisure of sleeping in late. Today she was to be working Fire weaves under the strict guidance of Norillen Sedai, the White Tower's lone other fellow Fire Speaker. It was rare for a witch to be talented in Fire, most were gifted in Air and Water. Well Ginny was always a rogue awkward one in most girly things, so why not her talents as well. Here in the Tower being gifted in Fire as well as Air and Water had earned her praise for a change in her life.

It was nice to be noticed for something other than being a rare Weasley witch.

Cold air rushed in on her as Hermione came hustling in with out knocking. Her best friend and Circlemate had long lost that civility when coming into her cell, but Ginny didn't mind. They were both engaged to the same man as well as each other more or less. An arrangement that didn't bother Ginny either after all they had been through and how she felt for the brainy brunet. The Arches taught them all that, along with opening her own eyes to what lay hidden in her heart.

"Hurry and get up will you." Hermione grumbled in exasperation at Ginny's owlishly sitting there with a smile of remembrance from what her dream had been like.

"Why?" she teased by half playacting her drowsiness, "It's not as if we have classes today. Oh wait we do! My bad."

"Be serious for a change, Gin." Hermione gave a long suffering sniff.

"Why should I when you do it so bril- Eee-Yowwww! That hurt." Yawned Ginny only to be cut off by a stinging hex weave from Daphne scurrying in.

"Good." their Slytherin Circlemate declared in support of Hermione, "Luna never came back from Elaida's room last night."

Gin hopped out of bed at that. The Red Hag had taken to their tiny blond and seemed bent on turning Luna into a consort or some such rot. None of them knew what went on when Elaida would summon the girl, but the tiny former Ravenclaw wasn't the same. One time Hermione and Daphne had to repair their friend's dress. More than once, Parvati had to hold the girl all night as weeping fits overwhelmed their normally bright and cheery Circlemate. Then there was the time Ginny discovered the dear waif tucked up in a corner of the Kitchens hiding but refusing to say what from. All of this was evidence of something that could and should not be allowed to stay in place. Luna was a gentle balm for them and their Harry, and whatever Elaida was doing was destroying the girl.

Scarily it looked as if nothing could be done as the laws of the White Tower only listed forced bondings or compulsions as being punishable sexual type crimes for an Aes Sedai. Though _unwarranted_ interest in a Novice could be censored by the Amyrlin or Hall. But an Accepted is considered as adult enough to stand up for herself, even if her words count for nothing against a full Sister's oath bound words to never tell a lie. And yet everyone knows that the truth an Aes Sedai says is not always the one thought to be spoken.

"The woman is a menace. Bloody tribie looks for ways to hurt others, especially those that are the gentlest." Daphne hissed while flopping down beside Ginny. "Can you imagine a teacher doing this back at Hogwarts. It's bad enough back there with the purebloodism."

"McGonagall would have the witch or wizard's guts for garters." Tracey grumbled from the doorway as the others joined them. "Then again Dumbledore may try to find a way to forgive them."

Hermione sat with the bleary eyed shift clad Ginny and fuming Daphne to let the rest slip into the cramped cell. A blush bloomed an her face at noticing the red head's lack of dress. "Sorry Ginny, I-!"

"To late now for apologies, but you could make it up to me if you hand me that robe." Gin sighed in embarrassed resignation, "That is unless everyone wants to see me in my knickers?"

Parvati hurriedly helped while Angelina asked them all the question they have been dancing around for months, "Alright girls, how many of you think it's time to leave?"

"I do, but how will we Heal Harry?" Alicia pointed out a major anchor for them.

Shrugging on her robe, Gin sighed, "I don't think staying will help. Look at Luna. If she wanted to be Elaida's lover, then fine. But she doesn't and what's worse is the Red Hag doesn't care. To her and the rest it's their opinion or desires above all else."

Tracey made a gagging noise at that, "Can I say it any clearer? Ewwwww!"

"What's eww? The lesbian sex part or the age part?" Angelina snapped at their vocal friend.

"Both, duh!" the Slytherin shivered.

"Oh grow up." Alicia hissed in annoyance, "I know you were one of the one's getting all doughy eyed at that "Miles-of-Smiles" Lockhart." This had Hermione duck her head in a deep crimson blush alongside Tracey and Angelina. "Then there is your next room neighbor, whom everyone knows is a tribie in a Pillow Friend relationship with that concussed cow Faolin. I know you admire her as a brilliant witch. Tell me honestly would you prefer a greasy git like Snape was molesting Luna or Elaida.? It's rape no matter who is doing it."

"That only makes it worse to imagine Snape chumming it up with Elaida's sort." Ginny pointed out with a frown. "Listen, if we go now without a plan, the Tower will hunt us down in weeks. Somehow we have to help Luna feel better and bring down the Red Hag. Running away unprepared will only aid Elaida in breaking us instead."

"Maybe you lot could let her go ahead and bond Harry." Angelina smirked with a shared amused look from Alicia. "That'd perk the girl up nicely." The older girl could have died from the dagger sharp glares from the Circle. "Bad joke, sorry. What I'm saying is we should leave sooner rather than later. I don't fancy the idea of our boys riding off to fight Tarmon Gai'don for these lot of cows." That had them all nodding in unanimous agreement.

"True." Ginny conceded in a growl of frustration. "We have to still keep Luna from cracking in either case."

Again nodding they fell into silence at having no ideas at all to offer as a solution. When the sound of the morning bells pealed the lot of teen witches yelped in surprise. Breakfast was going to be served soon and they all would be late if they stayed any longer. Ginny was in for it though as she was still not dressed for the day.

"Bugger it all." she vociferously spat in disgust.

The others started to vacate her room in a mass exodus. However Hermione, Daphne, and Parvati stayed behind to help her get ready quickly. As they did, and the others were like as not far from over hearing anything the Circle said, Parvati spoke up, "We have to give Luna something to combat the effect of Elaida's isolating and breaking her. We could do as Ange said and give her Harry, but that wouldn't be enough in a way. That is beside the fact that he might then learn of what the filthy hag is up to and blow up." Stopping there their Circlemate bit her lip nervously before saying any more.

"Uh hello that's what we were all discussing just now." Daph snarked.

"Just tell us what do you have in mind since you waited till the rest were gone." Hermione snapped in exasperation while handing Ginny her slippers.

Taking a deep steadying breath before answering, Par blushed prettily, "We give her us instead. I'm not saying we'll all romp in the sheets with her, as I doubt she'll want anyone to touch her for a long time. However we are all going to married to Harry, and by extension each other. Possibly bonded as well if such is even possible. Listen, you all might not know this but Luna's greatest fear is to be alone and rejected. Our answer should be to not let her feel that we've abandoned her, and not just with a pat on her back with a sad smile. I won't ever do that as she is as much a part of my life and love as our Harry is. But if Elaida has... Well Luna is going to need far more than a hug and a pat. She thrives on love, and by the Light I'll give her all that I have and more. Not just as a sad eyed friend but as a sister or... or as a wife I want her to see me as."

That stopped Ginny cold as she settled her rope belt and purses into place. She knew exactly how that felt. Tom made absolutely certain of grinding that into her young mind. Even now she has nightmares of it, along with ample proof as her shrewish Auntie Muriel has relentlessly campaigned to have her disowned. Tossed aside on the rest of the rubbish as a fallen woman at the ripe old age of eleven. Tom was the memories of a sadistic man, while Elaida is a real live woman, but both were probably cut from the same wretched cloth.

"Okay I'm in. I doubt she'll want to let us in because of the shame, but I will not let her live like I had to. I've never forgave myself for letting Tom control me to hurt others. And my family... Some in my family are more ashamed of my letting him whore me out to any that needed incentive to look the other way. I felt so... Luna and you three are more than simply my friends. Best friends doesn't even half cover it." She was terrified of saying how deeply she felt for them. Tom drilled it into her rather firmly that she was unlovable. All she was, and would forever be was a filthy little whore. "You're my soul mates in a way. Harry is our lover, but you four are what is keeping me sane in this life. I won't let anyone steal any of you from us." Ginny was starting to tremble in terror she was saying too much, even as she was keeping so much more unsaid. "Not a one."

She didn't say more as the fear they'd not want her in their lives roared back to the forefront of her mind. Horrified that Elaida may well be doing the same to her little Luna she wanted to scream and burn things. However she would not yield to her emotions like that. If she did it would only hinder their chances of rescuing Luna. She had so many emotions and feeling gnashing at the bit to escape her that good witches don't have. If they escaped Auntie Muriel and Tom would win.

Parvati tenderly took her hand with a compassionate hopeful smile that glowed so warmly for her that Ginny's heart stopped screaming inside her. A silent bond of solidarity and fulfilling unity was shared in the moment their eyes made contact. The care and understanding that the older witch poured into that smile took the red head's breath. Her friend, her Circlemate was telling her she was just as loved as their wizard and Luna. Ginny wasn't just a freakish accident in Par's eyes, but something desirable as a companion and friend.

Hermione grew a distant pensive look that took in all three other witches. A worried crease to her brow troubled Ginny. Was her best friend upset? Then with a shake of her head their wickedly smart Circlemate spoke with a startling firm resolution as if resigned to some fate she feared speak of, "Well besides just being the lone witch in the family, I've always been the odd one in the Granger family tree. Friends don't walk away from friends as far as I can say, but more than that... Well to me you lot are my sisters. Probably could be called my girlfriend girlfriends, though I'll hex you right and proper if you try to snog me at least until, or if, we decide to try such. Just the thought of walking down the isle to marry Harry and you lot has me a bit giddy. So I'm all in. As for dealing with Luna and Elaida, I say we never let Luna ever sleep or be alone when she comes back. She's ours, not that vile hag's."

It was down to one other. Daphne's frown met the others expectant hopeful gazes. Ginny was anxious at the very real possibility that this was the make or break moment. The Slytherin was the most traditional of the Circle, and could be too afraid to go against the grain like the rest of them.

Then miracle of miracles their Slytherin nodded with a wry smile, "I agree too. In a way we've all got to be more than friends with shoulders to cry on and lunch dates to eat sundays at Florian's. We're to be married, and spouses have to protect and comfort each other. For this to work for us we not only have to not be jealous of the others, but to be each others witches. I don't know how to stop this rancid harpy Elaida, but... but maybe we need to prepare to make a run for it in the next week at the latest. You know they're like as not going to round up our boys to march them off to fight this al'Thor everyone is whispering about. Now they dare try to turn our sweet little Luna into a whore? What's next? Will they decide to do the same with the rest of us? Or... or will they trash their own laws to toss us back into Novice Whites and force bond our Harry? Our family comes first, before this rotten heap of a Tower. You four are my soul mates like Gin aptly said. The loves of my life as much as Harry is. I- I can't watch and lose any of you... I know- I know what that will do to me." Her eyes were on Ginny with such pain it was palatable, "I know without a doubt in my heart it would be just as horrific for me as losing our lovely Warder husband to be."

They all felt that in their hearts. Ginny was in love with her Circle, maybe not exactly how she felt for their Harry, but it was still a roaring inferno in its own right. She knew most of her blood family wouldn't understand, that these three and Luna were her true loves alongside their wizard Harry. Going through Slytherin's Truth she could barely grasp why that one witch was afire with longing to join a Circle. Now that Ginny was in one of her own, she refused to live without it.

"I say we run, as I said before but be certain we have a safe way out of the city. I can't risk losing any of you to a wrong turn." she stated with a prayer they saw how she felt for them. Her eyes lingering on her Hermione as the memories of raging water taunted her. "I say we run away with Luna and Harry. I'm madly in love with you all and Luna. I know the rest say right now they wish to go, but I can't risk them changing their minds or taking a bad bet. Thinking of Luna... I've been a fool, almost hoping this wouldn't happen. Trusting others to do what is right and look after us all, not look the other way. The Tower is going to eat us alive if we stay longer than to plan a workable escape. Only I'm at a loss as to what we can do to stop them from that in the interim."

Her heart ached for her friend, knowing the horror of rape, molestation, and being whored out personally. She could still feel and smell the boys and men... Tom's laughter...

"We start today." Hermione agreed, "Though I do think we'll need to always have one of us by Luna's side. She's our angel of Light and love..." A tired shake of her friend's head accompanied by, "How dare they?"

Nothing more could be said. Luna was their's pure and simple, and besides that no girl or woman should be treated this way.

"I'll bring her to my room tonight." Ginny decided, "She'll be safe."

"You'll be marked as Pillow Friends." Tracey popped back in, startling them.

"Bugger the lot if they think we care." Daphne countered sternly. "In a way we are as we're all betrothed to Harry. I may not be that way sexually, but I love Luna more than probably most that are could ever love her. If that labels me as a dyed in the wool cauldron stirrer, then I can live with it. Gin, we'll all meet her and from now on we'll all stay in the same room at night. They can think or fantasize what they wish about us, but I'll not let them have any of you ever again."

"We'll make it mine, as it's centrally located to everyone's cells. It'll be tight but we sleep better together anyway." Hermione decreed to them with startling conviction.

Tracey had a grim tight little grin, "Good. If you lot didn't I was going to do so myself. By the by the rest of us are going to begin planning our escape starting tonight. We fear Elaida is planning something and if she has her way, none of us will enjoy life."

"Then we're all still in agreement, as we're leaving for Luna and Harjit's sake if nothing else." Parvati held a relieved smile. "It's time to go."

Hurrying to get her hair tamed as she likes for working dangerous Fire weaves, Ginny felt alive. None had rejected her feelings that they were very much more than friends. She was worth their love and Harry's, not the freakish abomination her Auntie claims of her.

Deftly plaiting her long ponytail, she let out a tiny "Eep!" at the soft hands of Parvati taking over to put the finishing touches in place. When she was done her Circlemate slipped her arm around Gin's waist with a gentle squeeze.

Blushing at how she wished it had been their wizard's arm to capture her like this she turned to her tender eyed friend. Par plainly stated, "Gin, we need to talk."

Hesitant but relaxing and enjoying caring tone of her vibrant Circlemate, she asked quietly, "What of?" Unlike her own mother, Par never screamed at her for having thoughts of her own, just asked to hear them for comparison.

"Luna told me once of what her friend Penny told her had been done to you by your family. Gin I won't ever let anyone do anything to you ever again." Par was near tears as she whispered, "I'll tell you what I told Luna. We're together against the world, or better yet we're together to create a better one. I love you Gin, to the bottom of my heart."

Her blood froze. Others knew of that secret? Not even her dad or all her brothers knew save Percy who held her in place for her mum's ill conceived plan to rescue her from what her Auntie Muriel suggested of her. Then again she knew Percy told Penny everything. Ginny missed Penny, the older witch was so in charge of her life and so beautiful in a put together way. Like Hermione, the muggleborn knew what she wanted and went for it. However it was horrifying that anyone at all knew that it was an open secret in her family that she might be a closeted witch's witch. Though it was no one's business if she does or does not fancy witches or wizards, the law back home is clear. A fact the family shrew waved over mum's head. Her mother's hurried obliviations to placate Auntie Muriel before the shrew called the Auror's had begun breaking since going through Slytherin's Truth and her learning to embrace Saidar.

Frightened what Par felt about this and her, she squeaked, "What do you think of me? I- They- Am I sick? I wasn't what Auntie Muriel said back then, but they- I think I am now, but I don't want to lose you all."

Enfolding her with a tight hug that conquered Ginny's hidden fears of being thought a freak or degenerate because not even her family wanted or trusted her, Par began whispering in her ear, "As you said Gin, we're soul mates. Our love of Harry may have opened the door for us all, but we too belong together. You're pain is my pain. We're here for Luna, we're here for Harry, and-."

"And each other." Hermione crushed them both in one of her patented hugs, "Burn the world if they don't understand or label us for it."

"I never thought I'd say this to another girl, let alone several, but I'm your witch." Daphne laughed a bit waterily while aiding Hermione in squeezing the air out of Ginny and Par, "Gin, you're not sick. What ever they did to you was sick to make you think that. And if they or anybody thinks my girls are twisted abominations they best not let me find out about it."

Tracey was sniffling as she spoke from the doorway. "You lot do make a fine- well whatever you lot are 'cause couple doesn't cover it. However I want to give you all fair warning, if you lot start snogging it out in front of me, I might just hurl. Just so you know."

Gin squawked a tiny watery laugh at that, "We're a Circle, Tracey. Like a ring."

"And we're straight Trace. Snoggings are reserved for our Truhart." Daphne snickered with a sniffle, though her eyes were caressing the rest of the Circle, "So your stomachs safe," then almost inaudibly amending Gin barely caught it, "For now."

They broke apart with that, though Daphne swiftly took hold of Hermione's hand with a softening look of pure adoration. For her part their resident book lover was blushing at this and Tracey's weighing arched eyebrow. Leaving hand in hand with Par as Daphne and Hermione were, Gin closed her cell's door to head for morning meal and duties, praying silently that they could manage to escape with their Luna and Harry.

"Holy Cricket! I just thought of something." Hermione cheered giving them all a jump, "A circle has no ends or beginnings. We may have an outer edge, but our inside belong's solely to us. From now on I'm not going to consider you lot and Luna as outside of me, or wonkily joined with me and Harry. To me you lot and our little Luna are me and myself is actually you. Elaida isn't just after bedding Luna, but us as well in a way."

That was a disturbing insight, Ginny decided with a lurch of her stomach. However it made logical sense in a twisted sort of way.

Daphne grimaced sickly, "I can see that. Now we just have to convince Luna of it."

Shaking that off they hurried on, then when the other two had launched into another little debate only they could fathom, Par slowed up a hair bit. Looking on that pair whom were rambling on excitedly her kind gregarious Circlemate whispered, "You should know that I-."

Gin cast a glance at Tracey whom was ahead of the all and shaking her head at the arguing duo. Stopping Par with a hurried, "If this is what I think, I figured it out. Though your one of the prettiest witches in the school, you don't date."

"I love Harry." Parvati reminded, "I was waiting for him, hoping he'd see me. But yes I also don't find any others boys that exciting. They can be thrilling to look at but most are like your brother. There are exceptions like Harry, Neville, and that sweet Professor Lupin but they're rare. Are you okay with this, with me?"

Blushing Ginny replied, "I wasn't when they obliviated me. I wasn't even when we first came here, except for a bit of curiosity about how I compared. To see if I could ever stack up to catch Harry's eye. But after all this time and being so close to all of our circle in the chase for our daft man... well I'm truly in love with you lot in all the ways a person can be."

Shyly Par gave her a tender smile, "What do you think the others will say? Luna and us may want this to go further, but will they? I think that Hermione hides it, even from herself."

"I can see that. She had a romance novel or two about it when she stayed with me at the Burrow. Daphne, I don't know and am afraid to ask. Look at how Tracey reacts to the idea. I'm madly in love with Daph and don't want her to shove us away." Ginny worried, but secretly cheered at the knowledge she wasn't alone in the Circle with feelings most witches don't have for other witches. "Should we ask them? Should we tell them period?"

Daphne and Hermione turned about, both grinning like loons. Their traditionalist Slytherin love calling out in disbelief, "Hey you two, were running late as it is. Come on will you." Then those two scurried on ahead.

Par whispered hurriedly, "Later... if you want." then glowed bright with a blush Ginny found quite fetching, "Harry is the only wizard I love but-."

Feeling her cheeks igniting with that and her heart racing at the possible "later", Gin giggled, "Not the only love of your life. Same here."

Theodrin, another Accepted brushed past them with a sigh and a look of reproach. Ginny didn't care if the world didn't understand them, this was where they belonged. This was where they were loved, so she kissed Par pointedly daring the older Third Age witch to say anything. For her love's part, Parvati returned the heat in the kiss rather nicely before taking off with Ginny in tow. They left the Accepted's Quarters hand in hand till they entered the staid main section of the White Tower where public displays of affection were frowned on. Waiting for them impatiently were their two exasperated loves.

Passing below them on a raised walkway was Harry whom waved and smiled from behind his guide of the day to the Yellows. His rakish grin gave them all a flutter so that when the first bell call to breakfast rang they couldn't keep from laughing as they ran to not be late. It was imperative they leave Tar Valon, yet it was also liberating to realize they had a home and family even if none but they could see it. Ginny had an epiphany that they must've all changed since leaving the Yule Ball in order to let themselves accept and love their unique relationships. Then again, not all change was always a bad thing to go through. Changing her world view gave her these people she loved more than life, and that was simply beyond a mere good turn of the Wheel.

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 **Warning: Scene of Harsh Adult Topic Following.**

A hard slap to her face jolted her awake from where she half hung by her bound wrists to the bed post. The fingernails of her vile Mistress rake a quadralinial set of furrows in her already bruised cheek. Tears, blood, and other unmentionable drying bodily fluids stung her face with renewed vigor at this fresh assault. Humiliation and shame cut and burned her deeper than all these physical discomforts as she peered up through her matting hair veiling her puffy eyes to see her nude unwanted lover.

"Awake now my Wilder slut?" Elaida purred with a sneer, "From now on, you really must learn to be better ready for me when I'm ready. I bought and paid for you from Alviarin, and you will serve me as I so wish. Your seduction of me was brilliantly done my tasty little crumpet. Your soon to be Red Sisters and I all agree you will serve the Ajah well." Her cruel Mistress tittered before forcefully kissing her, re-breaking open her split lip from her struggles last night.

Cringing inwardly but responding as best as she could to convince Elaida of her willingness to be the Red Hag's pet whore, Luna wished nothing more than to die. No matter how hard she'd tried to evade or deny the loathsome hag's pursuit, she'd ultimately failed. Tower law does not recognize what Elaida has done as a crime. Aes Sedai are to appear above reproach, thus they clearly can not be known to have pederasts in their ranks. Plus Pillow Friendships are encouraged by many if not most Sisters as a release till a woman attains her Shawl and bonds a Warder. To the outside world, Luna chose this for herself.

Panting with a gleam of something unholy, her Mistress caressed her bare flesh, "Oh we are an eager one now are we? How fun. I knew immediately you were a born slave, an unclaimed submissive tart eager to be leashed by the strongest woman. Oh how your eyes begged me to save you. To snatch you from a life of servitude to a mere man or to wander aimlessly in unfulfilled promise. My nights were fraught with how you yearned for my love."

Luna wanted to whimper, or to scream. Those were things she must never do again. Elaida had made that abundantly clear last night. It was obey or be hurt in ways it was unthinkable. Obeying though had a horrible cost for her though. It had cost her the gifts she was at one time proud to have kept safe for her Harry.

Elaida was biting her again. This hurt but not like the fear that her Harry wouldn't wish to love her anymore. She was worse than just a bad little witch that lets her mummy die, but now she was a weak willed whore too boot. Both her Harry and Circle will rightfully reject her now. She'd gave away what was theirs to not only a stranger, but their enemy.

The sharp edges of her owner's teeth cut into Luna's earlobe enough to draw blood, yet she mustn't cry out with anything less than a moan of desire or animalistic lust. Every ounce of her will must be given over to convincing this woman of how much this was wanted. Lashings with Air, or scalding wax on bare nethers, or even lacerations with a razor had to be seen as the caressing touches of true lovers. If she cried out the cost would be too terrible to bear.

Releasing her from the curtain ropes, Elaida shoved her onto the bed proper. It was obvious that the night was not done in burning off the vile Red's abhorrent ravenous lusts.

Nursing her rope burned wrists, Luna wept at the cruelty of the Wheel to allow this.

Preparing herself for more abuse and what all else the Red wished of her, Luna's self loathing rose to gag her against her will. She'd yielded to this sharing _Pillow Time_ last night out of a panicked desperation. If she'd have been given a way to say no, then she may well have taken that way. However Elaida had discovered things about Harry and hinted of more about her beloved Circle. There was no denying her love for them and the Sister had taken advantage of this. Dire promises of taking Harry before the Hall and the Amyrlin Seat for judgement, and that could only end one way for a man in the matriarchal leaning high court of Tar Valon. Giving in was all the blond teen witch could do to save her loves and family.

Though not all of it had been violent and cruel. Some of it had her body betraying her in enjoying how it felt in the expert hands of her villainous new owner. Most though was only for domination and cruelty. Elaida meant to break her physically and emotionally. There was no love in this, just a long seemingly endless night of horror.

In her heart she tried to imagine her Harry and even her Circle doing things out of love for her. Touching her in tenderness and a hunger to please her in a shared passionate love. With one or all of her Circlemates it wouldn't have left her feeling as such a traitor to the love her gentle wizard gave her. Instead Elaida had a twisted sixth sense of sorts in realizing what Luna was dreaming of. This was where the hag included not so idle threats of doing the same to her Circlemates. To bring them all in and rape them all as well, telling them it was because of her lack of love for them that it was happening. A shattering vision to see that effectively stripped her of her last defenses.

Calling this anything less than rape was a lie, and Luna was to be an Aes Sedai whom were not allowed to ever utter such a thing. Then again, how could an Aes Sedai be worthy of the title and have let herself be used like this?

Grabbing her by the hair, Elaida actually giggled, "Are you truly ready for more? I know I am. My delicious little treat, I think I'll bond you to me. We'll rule over our Ajah together and then the White Tower. My scrumptious Wilder Queen is what I'll call you."

It took all she had not to gag in the waves of nausea that swept over her with that. Self loathing and horror were making that far window and the long plunge to the ground below sound inviting at just the mere thought of what Elaida was suggesting.

Kissing the woman's forearm allowed her to let slip a tear or two. Her mind was repeating the last mantra of semi-defense left to her sanity, "This is for my loves. They're safe as long as I please her. This is for my loves."

Savagely Elaida was dragging her to begin servicing what need the Sister currently felt. Thankfully a knock on the suite's door stopped the mad witch. Hissing in frustration, Luna's dark Mistress threw her hard against the head board, dazing her as her skull bounced off the hard wooden frame. The Red Hag's long thin smooth body glistened in its coating of their mutual sweat, spends, and Luna's blood. Seeing her unwanted lover clad in only that and the Light made Luna want only to cry even more. She had not lain dead in the woman's cruel embrace, but had tried to placate the Red by actively participating to protect her loves. Elaida's threats were clearly not empty or idle and thus spurred the teen to be what was required of her.

Watching Elaida throw on a night robe, she too made ready to get up as well. She would miss her chance at breakfast, but would absolutely not go about the day with the stench of her Mistress upon her. The humiliating shame and possible discovery of her unfaithfulness would be unbearable.

Searching and finding her once prized, but now ruined Accepted's dress along with her shift reminded her how it started yesterday. She had came to the Red's chambers as bidden though she had tried to find a different teacher in White Tower law. Alviarin had flat told her she never wished to see her in the White's Hall again. Thus she found herself entering Elaida's suite when given permission. In the time it took to step through and close the door she had become Shielded, gagged by Air, and hurled bodily onto the bed. Malignant glee filled Elaida's eyes as Luna fought unsuccessfully against those bonds. Then the hag cackled in mad pleasure while ripping these once pristine clothes away like shucking an ear of corn.

Though Luna was thought to be extraordinarily powerful and level headed girl, she couldn't find the peaceful serenity to open her dirigible plum buds to repair the ruined garments. Her rape was too fresh and alive in her mind, heart, and soul for it just then. Yet she'd let it go on to save the lives of her loves.

Elaida glanced her way with a leering smile, "You will eat and bathe with me my love. From now on consider the Red Ajah your home. All your classes and more will be with us. In fact I will pay to have you moved into my rooms here, as I simply won't be without you. We love and accept you Luna, and forgive you of being a vile Wilder. Soon you will be raised and bonded to me. Among our Ajah we'll have a ceremony where I'll claim you as my wife. I'll even let you bed that mongrel boy you pine for to bear me an heir. You must be diligent at seeing that it be only a daughter. She is to continue my legacy after all. A dynasty of true pure Aes Sedai to rule over and save our world ultimately. If you are especially good I'll let you keep your cabal of Wilder harlots as handmaids."

The thought of having Harry's baby brightened Luna up a fraction. Images of a blond girl with Harry's devastating eyes made her ache to return home and be free of Elaida. To be free of the fear that Harry will be caught or that he'd feel sickened at her betrayal and rightfully set her aside.

"I see the desire there. Maybe we'll keep your pet man longer than I had initially planned. Yes I think it will be coming time I purchase your darling friends and boy to help you see the fun in dominating another. You hunger to have him and them under my instructive whips and blades, I see it." Elaida tittered while opening the door. Fear that her loves were doomed as she was made her wish to cry.

Interrupting this was the rancid scent of Galina Sedai storming in. The wicked black hearted head of the Red Ajah took one look at Luna then smirked widely, "You always have a knack for finding the tastiest morsels, Elaida. Care to share? It owes me."

Horrified at the idea of others raping her too, made the young witch tremble violently.

"No this one is to be mine alone. She is to be my wife, and not handed out as I have others." her Mistress hissed like an angry cat.

"Pity." the way that sounded told Luna that Galina would be looking to take her from Elaida anyway, "We have work. It's moving forward well."

Elaida grew stiff and nodded with a dismissive wave for the girl, "Luna my love. Go enjoy the day, and remember your dear friends."

She knew what that meant. She could say or do nothing. Harry will die and her Circle whored out if she dared attempt it. And yet if she could warn them in time to run, they would be safe and she could live with anything as long as they survived.

"My life for theirs. My life for theirs. My life for theirs... My...Life...For...Theirs..."

 **End Scene of Harsh Adult Topic**

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Brief flashes of lightening raged across the sky above the twisted wasted landscape. Blood ran down the arm of Harry as the wind filled with a hot rain that smelled of stale rotten water drenched him to the bone. Puss and a far worse scented black blood oozed down his face, into his sopping wet beard. Pain like none he'd ever experienced before in this life made thought nearly impossible. Frigid cold and fetid heat made him nauseous, but he would not throw up. Could not as that would distract him in this Blighted region, and ultimately give his two foes a chance to vanquish him and the Light in a single blow.

"I won't yield to either of you toss pots!" he bellowed out to his dark hearted opponents.

Fire in the shape of a huge serpent soared through the air towards where he stood. Diving and rolling clear of the Feindfyre, Harry hurls a barrage of ball lightening that were unable to counter all the thin bars of white true fire that erased large swathes of the land. Dodging these in time to avoid his end he has to run madly away in order to avoid geysers of molten magma and steam that is starting to rupture the rust red ground at his feet.

Great arching streamers of green light illuminate the world around where that assault came from. This is answered in kind by a storm of brimstone hail tearing forth from the sky ripping asunder the undulating clouds of rancid rain.

Gathering his will while drawing even more of Saidin, he launches a volley of acidic fiery death at the two positions before pelting off to where he thought Voldemort had ran to last.

Half mad with pain and exhaustion he cackles, "Come out ol' Tommy Boy and meet your end!" A rumbling from deep below him threatens to put him in the dirt.

Leaping to a cracking set of ancient stairs Harry feels the ground behind him explode...

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

...Clawing his way awake Harry felt he was suffocating. Flinging away his covers helped but not enough. The scar on his forehead burned but had thankfully not ruptured this time. It did feel like a creature inside it was striving to escape by writhing about. Some type of worm or serpent that could twist and spin while balling itself up into a knot. It wouldn't surprise him in the slightest if it burst out of his head like some movie monster.

Neville was sitting beside him daubing cool water over his face, "Morning Harjit. Hammar says the Aes Sedai are ready early this morning to see you. They sent word that they want you along within the hour. Apparently an Accepted that is leaning towards the Yellow and will be raised soon has expressed an interest in seeing into your scar. The Yellows are excited at her natural talent so they have agreed. Sorry my lab rat mate it's back to the laboratory for you."

Hearing that had his scar go even wilder.

"Brilliant!" Harry groused blearily, wondering why his nights were more and more jolly holidays in nightmares of war and death. Most likely it was his exposure to the Taint. "I swear the thing can hear Frank. It wants to escape more than we do. Light and Merlin help us poor souls if it does."

Blaise snorted from the cot over from them. "Bloody well would make the Sisters have kittens by the bushels if Voldemort showed up here. Knowing the Dark Lord, he'd find a way to channel and give us all a real fight. Bugger me if he wouldn't."

Agreeing with a groan of exhaustion, Harjit sat up with a wince. Running this long with next to no sleep had done him no favors. "Light forbid."

Seeking the Void to steady himsself, Harry noticed that Blaise had something sitting beside him in an ornate box. The latch was a silver raven perched in the horns of a golden stag, with a large copper lily in its beak. All held emerald eyes or stamen in the case if the flower. Black lacquered wood gleamed with a slick sheen to rival the chaste silver bindings. To put it bluntly, it was an amazing work of art.

"Oh yeah, this came for you. Galad confiscated it from some of the new Guardsmen recruits that took it from some supposed crazy lady demanding to give it to you specifically. He may be a right prat often as not but he despises thievery, so he delivered it early while you were having a lie in." Neville smirked as Blaise handed it over. "He was packing up to leave and arguing with Gawyn for some reason, so I thanked him for you."

Galad was a lot of things but he didn't tolerate the morally bankrupt. Did Gawyn do something? With his head hurting like it was Harry couldn't think very clearly.

Hesitantly he opened the incredibly valuable chest. Inside its violet velvet cushioned interior was a velum scroll on top of an ornate ring nestled beside a curious statuette, as well as a signet styled pendant necklace and lapel pin to match the ring and chest. The thick weighty man's ring was made of what may be steel branches and golden mistletoe, the lover's sprig was home to thirteen tiny pearls for its berries and a onyx raven. Closer inspection of the statuette shown that it was made up of rings fit cleverly together to form an elegant tiny bird's nest with a raven formed from the stones. Each of the thirteen silver and gold braided rings, when parted were for women delicately threaded into Celtic style plaits with an onyx stone setting. He had ordered a signet pin for himself but the rest of this was mind blowing. It made no sense why it was all sent to him.

Breaking the scroll's seal he read it with no small dose of concern.

 _"Dear Raven Lord,_

 _I know that this is more than you ordered, but a strange thing happened as I struggled to design your order. An older gentleman, one of those Sea Folks roaming about, came in with this set wishing to trade for some of my gold flatware with amethysts. Seeing these and that he would not break the set up, I made the trade and am charging you for the extra cost of the dinnerware._

 _Your Servant, Kerisin Telador"_

Picking up the exquisitely worked jewelry again with a large dose of trepidation, he slipped on the man's ring. It fit perfectly with his other, as if made for him and as companion to the other. In fact he actually liked it.

Curiosity getting the best of his mates had them come take a look for themselves. Blaise, Fred, and George took the note and signet set. Neville though picked up the women's rings with a bit of reverent awe. None of them could come up with a word to say about all this. What could be said of it?

"I'll have to go talk with her. This is far more than I thought to get." he stated in concern.

"That may have to wait. Remember that we're to be out on scouting patrol after tomorrow." Neville cautioned. "Best just pack this away till we come back."

Hammar Gaiden and another Warder came into the barracks. Fearing what the aged warrior might say about the strange treasure as well as heeding his cautious mate's words, Harjit scooped it all up and hid them in his bag.

"Truhart! I told Frank to get your scrawny backside up and away to the Sisters. Stop lolling about, the Yellows want to see you now." Hammar's gravelly voice boomed out.

"Yes sir!" Harry snapped to with a sharp salute.

Dressing quickly he tossed on his clothes without thinking. If not for Blaise he'd have charged out with his new ring still on his hand. It wasn't much but he wasn't certain he wished to let others see it yet. Some may raise more questions that he hadn't the energy to answer. It's one thing to have ravens as a signet, but this was a bit much. The Shadoweyed were feared the world over, and with the turmoil of all these False Dragons, and possible true Dagon Reborn, people were jumpy. So he slipped it off into his bag by itself.

It would be just his luck if some paranoid sheepherder saw him as a Darkfriend. Worsening that though would be if someone labeled his friends and loves in like fashion because of him.

At least on his way he saw four of his loves looking radiant in the early morning hours.

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Spinning away from the sword thrust from Gawyn's sally, Neville let the Void guide and hold him. The Boar in the Brush was his answer with the practice halberd he held. Other Warder trainees had a good laugh at his choice of weapon but they sought glory where he was interested in deterrence. He knew how to fight with the swords and maces that were common to the other students. However here was what Hammar and the other Warders called practical combat for all of them. Most men on a battlefield would be using long unwieldy pikes and halberds, not perfectly balanced swords.

Tumbling back from this Gawyn swatted the attack aside with Dancing Among the Maidens, followed by Folding the Silken Robe, that flowed seamlessly to Thrushes on the Wing. Staggering and dancing under this onslaught, Neville dug in and found his feet. Harry and Gawyn were far better fighters than he was, but he was no slouch or quitter so he dug in and found his feet. Once settled he responded to this with a rolling parry of Floods from the Mountain effectively sweeping aside Gawyn's darting blade's latest sally.

Now back to not being nearly skewered by blunted wood, he turns the extremely difficult form into Wheat Breaking the Soil, putting the Andoran royal on the defensive with the added reward of a swat to the thigh of the skilled swordsman. A resounding slap of hard flat wood on soft wool covered flesh made some of the audience of young witches wince. However Neville had no time to celebrate or gloat as Gawyn was not such an easy foe to best. Instead he launched into Reaping the Chaff, a form that could open a man's middle if it connected, but would leave its user open to a fatal counter attack as well.

Canny and cagey as ever, Gawyn saw this opportunity and took a side rolling dive after sidestepping Neville's assault. Yet Neville was not a usual sparring partner and took the only option open to him and lashed out with his gauntleted fist in a backhanded blow. Gawyn had dove in too quickly to pull out of his own attack from the inertia, scoring Neville a staggering blow to the lordling's jaw. Using his own inertia, the huge wizard spins about with a twirl of his practice halberd to ram its butt end into the prince's middles. Some of the audience, mostly made up of his opponent's mate's and doughy eyed witch fans, squawked and pouted sulkily about treachery.

Hearing all that didn't phase him as he was in the Void allowing him to ignore it. His only concern was Gawyn's crafty up stroke of his wooden sword that caught Neville in the knee. Knowing that he'd like as not have a limp for days, the wizard launches into Seas a'Storming, a form that was unwieldy, but put some safe space from the whirling Gawyn in Swallows in the Spring.

"Halt!" bellowed a leather lunged Garvin Gaiden, a Yellow Sister's Warder that helped Master Hammar now and again. "That is enough. Both of you are in need of a good hiding, but I think both of you have shown skill. As for the rest of you slugs, learn from this. Forms alone don't win a fight. Now it's time for our daily jaunt. Form up and let's get the measure of the outer walls."

Groaning, some of the men put aside their weapons to start the bi-daily run around the city's outer wall's top. Endurance was a key to surviving the butcher's yard when the blood work begins to run longer than a few feints and sallies. At first Neville hated this part of the work, but now it was routine. He could run eight to ten miles in full gear and be more or less fresh for the fight. Make it twenty and he'd be struggling but still capable of making a stand.

"Blood and ashes I wasn't expecting that Oakheart. I'll have to watch better next time." Gawyn congenially slapped him on the back where the prince had caught him with a glancing but telling blow. "You and your friends are a mad bunch but that's okay by me. When the Tower and Andor go to set that bloody al'Thor to right, I'll be glad of you lot as my brothers in arms. Though I think Harjit needs to learn to breath more. Not everyday is a war."

Wincing at the hard contact Neville grunted, "We've never followed the rules alone so why stop now. As for al'Thor I'm a bit afraid he is the Dragon. As for Harjit, he's never been one for half measures so when he swore to be the best Warder he could be, that's what he's determined to be. Don't you feel the same need to be your best for that Egwene?"

"I do, but she's Galad's girl." a sad resignation hung in the prince's tone.

"Idiot. She's not his. She need's more than a pretty boy with a heart of stone." Neville commented gruffly, "Don't shove her into the arms of someone that doesn't appreciate her."

"Frank, if that were the case, why does she go for men like my brother? Your friend Harjit is as cold as the grave yet she used to blush when he was around. Bah, she ran off and..." Gawyn grumbled to a stop.

"Harjit can do that to most girls. He doesn't see it but the women fall for him by the droves. Galad knows he has that effect, my mate is oblivious to it. Even my Pads has a crush for him, though thankfully she loves me more. Egwene may feel the same about you. You'll never know if you never try." Neville offered the ginger haired royal.

While everyone was forming up, a Red Sister came out and caught Gawyn's eye. Shaking Neville's hand the prince dashed away to speak with the unexpected observer. It was an unsettling sight for the giant of a wizard. Oddities regularly created unpleasantries in the man's life. He decided to make a point of telling Harjit about it later, when his best mate returned from his Healing session. The Red's must have some game in mind with the easily duped prince.

Taking a steady ground eating pace, he joined his other three mates up in the middle of the pack of loping trainees. Jogging at his side was Blaise, grinning at him disconcertingly, as the twins were chuckling evilly.

With his patience worn thin by the prince's daft love life, he barks, "What?"

"Nothing, but that it was brilliant to see you fight is all." Blaise's eyes twinkled as he shared a smirk with the other two miscreants.

"Plus you earned us a fat purse of silver." Fred admitted with a chortle as he showed of the prize purse.

"Wankers thought you'd be dropped in the first of the match." George slapped him on the same point that Gawyn had earlier.

Gritting his teeth he wondered if Pads could Heal him.

"Less talk more speed!" thundered a Warder Neville didn't know the name of.

Putting aside everything else, they ran on.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Slipping into Luna's room, Ginny thought how she was going to explain her feelings to her two as yet unaware Circlemates of her sexual identity. Good witches were not cauldron stirrers or like her cauldron stirring wand chasers. It was against the law back home to even think it, and most witches shunned girls that were like her. However her heart had feel in love with four of the most amazing women a girl could ever know. They shared a man, why not each other too. Simple right? Not so simple if a girl wished to not alienate the girl, or girls in her own case.

Par knew and it was obvious to any that looked that Luna was positively mad for their Hindi Angel. However remembering that her family had obliviated her out of fear that she was a crested hen at the worldly age of twelve hurt and frightened her. Little did her family know that she wasn't the vaguest bit interested in anyone save Harry back then. Though in all honesty she was in awe of Hermione and Penny back then too. But that does not change the fact she had no idea that a girl could ever fancy a girl, it was only much later did she become aware of that possibility happening.

Going through Slytherin's Truth broke the needless obliviation and got her wondering if she could find herself in that sort of a relationship. She suspected Hermione had a huge crush on Penny Clearwater as the girl never stopped talking about the brilliant older witch. Well not until the Ravenclaw had made it official she was dating Percy. Then there was the rumor at Hogwarts that Susan Bones was a closeted cauldron stirrer like her infamous recluse of an Aunt. But these facts meant little to her outside of being so close to Hermione. No what set her to exploring her heart's depths was the nearness and unity she felt as one of Harry's girls with the other four, which became something far more profound in the interim. Harry was the lone wizard good enough for any of them in her opinion, but she had grown to need them in her own life as well. Losing Hermione in the arches shown her what she truly felt for the other four. She loved them just as deeply as she did their man.

Inside the candlelight bathed cell was Hermione alone. Should she take this opportunity to tell Hermione in private? Would her friend understand? Would they remain friends?

Clearing her throat, Ginny took the plunge, "Uhh... Hermione I think we need to talk."

Jumping in shock of not being alone anymore, her love looked up from her book with a hesitant smile, "I think so too, Gin. Sit down I'll make room."

Gathering her courage Gin sat and prepared to put it all out there in the open.

That was brought up short as Hermione launched into her own little blurted out speech, "Me and Daph cornered and forced out of Par what happened. I want you to know I feel it's alright if you fancy girls as well as boys. Gin-Gin you have the right to make up your own mind what you want in life. Some might not like it, others might think you're just confused, and others may think you should just go ahead and choose one or the other. But they're not you, and right or wrong, it's still what you choose. Personally I'm in the same boat as you Gin, I'm at minimum bi-curious. Though I favor boys more than girls, well one green eyed adonis in particular. I had to face this in myself in order to open myself to Saidar. I had to surrender to the truth of my heart, and it says loudly that I'm in love with you and the rest of our Circle. When I said I consider you my girlfriends, I truly meant it."

Chilled by the thrilling rush of relief, Ginny spoke with her heart hammering away in her chest, "Really? I promise I'll not ki-."

Hermione silenced her by a finger to her lips, "I want to take this slow, but that is because I'm a bit nervous how our wizard will take this. Technically he could see it as us cheating on him. Which is how I see your brother Ron taking such things. I know Harry loves us, but he used to strive to make that git love him like a brother. If we knew he'd be fine with us, then I want whatever makes us comfortable."

Taking her girlfriend's hand Ginny shook her head, "I don't see that Harry pulling a Ron, not now at least. Our lovely wizard has grown up and has shifted his mind to consider Nev as a best mate. Harjit wants us to be happy. As long as we don't reject him, but include him too, he'll be fine with us. We're never giving him up, just opening our hearts to the rest of our soul mates. That's what I hope at least."

Sharing a silent moment they remained holding hands. Fearing her friend was likely to baulk at this if she moved, Gin waited in worry. Had she said too much? They all needed Harry and each other, she just knew it.

Hermione leaned forward to lightly kiss her. When their lips brushed each other, tingling rushes shot through her body exactly like how it felt when kissing Harry. Pressing her luck, she increased the contact by nibbling on her lover's lips. Emboldened by this, her gorgeous Hermione cups her cheek while darting her tongue past Ginny's slightly parted lips. This was a bit shocking, but she found it exhilarating, and quickly returns the favor. Her harry had kissed her like this, and she was wild for it but never expected Hermione to want this type of kiss too. Having her brilliant girlfriend also seeking this from her made it a lock as a way to blow the red head's mind.

"Holy Cricket... Merlin and the Light, Gin..." Hermione giggled in a blushing pant, it was almost a whisper in the cool night air, "Light and love, Gin, when I decided I was Harry's witch, I swore I'd never go the safe course again. I almost back slid on what I feel for you and our Circlemates. Fears instilled into me by Ron, Dumbledore, and just about everyone back home have haunted me since I accepted my sexual identity. They all made me into a doormat in controlling access to my life and Harry's. Used my fears to force me to live as they wished by telling me to only take the safe bets. Then Par came to me and Daphne, while we waited for you to leave the Arches, with this plan to share Harry. I was terrified and angry. Harry was mine. I knew it, and almost had him that night the Whitecloaks attacked us." Her lover's eyes grew troubled, "I got over my anger as I knew in my heart this was the only way to have him and the witches I love in my life as well. However I was afraid none of you would feel right with being near me if I made it known I was at the very least bi-curious. Would you lot panic to learn that me and Penny Clearwater kissed under a mistletoe? Would you all hate me that I almost asked Lavender to go on a secret date to Hogsmeade or that I wanted to take her with me to the Alps? Then you confessed that you saw me as your soul mate and my heart forgot how to beat for a minute. Could you possibly want me how I wanted you? Gin, I want you and the others as my lovers. Harry will be my only wizard, but not my only lover. I want- No. I need us to be... to be girlfriends. The bit about snoggings and hexings was me trying to not scare you of if-."

Kissing her love again, with a tender hope she felt in it how much she loved her, Ginny whispered, "I was just as afraid. I remember mum and Auntie Muriel discussing me. My mum tries to love me, but not my aunt. That shrew will think of me as a monster as usual. Mum will cave and listen and do what ever the hag wants to placate her."

Taking her face in both hands, Hermione tearfully confronted that, "You're not a monster. The world may never understand us, but I don't ruddy well care. All I dream of these days outside of becoming a full Sister, is the day we'll all be marrying our Harry and each other. You four women are my sisters and so much more. I fantasize of us all and Harry doing some rather steamy and deliciously naughty things with each other. More though, I see us all living to see our grandchildren and still be madly, truly, and utterly in love with each other. If you're a monster, then so am I and I couldn't be happier for it."

Crying a little, relief floods Ginny's composure as she hugs her love tight. The confession of her girlfriend mirrored her own dreams and desires. "Me too. I've lived so long being afraid I was wrong or twisted from birth. I don't think I was this way till we came through all this on this world. Now though I know I'm in love with five gorgeous people and only one is a wizard. He's the only man I'll ever let have me again in that way, but then he's the only one I'd ever let have my Circlemates that way either.

Mutually crying into each others shoulders, they let the stormy emotions pass. Slowly Hermione kisses her again in reaffirmation of their love. "I was too afraid to ask penny or Lav to be my girlfriends, just as I was too afraid to see Harry was my true love. I just went the safe expected way instead of allowing myself to be me. But maybe this is better. Gin-Gin, one day I want to introduce you to my mum and papi, along with our Circle and our lovable goof of a man Harry. All together and as glorious as the sun, my beautiful true loves. To show them how lucky a girl I am."

Her lover's blush was so appealing, Ginny loved the glimmer of joy in her witch's eyes. This had turned out far better than she'd feared things may have went. And maybe if they hadn't went through all this it would have been that epic disaster she envisioned. Though it was a condemning crime back home that her Auntie Muriel waved over her head like a blood stained cloth, this place was not there. Also that shrew was not in control of their lives, and here they were free to choose this odd if happy lifestyle. This was their lives to live as they chose.

Blushing even more furiously, Hermione wiped away a few rogue tears on the back of he hand, pondering out loud, "I wonder sometimes if either Penny or Lav would've said yes or not. I was so set on Ron to become my future, I lost sight of how awesome Harry or those two were. Mostly Harry as he's always been open and ready for someone to love him."

"Penny would've said yes." Ginny sniffled, thinking of how life changing it is to be for a witch to be able to open herself to Saidar and the truth of oneself, "She told me in Egypt that she plays Seeker for both teams. I didn't know what that meant for a long time. Mum tries very hard to not let me learn much outside of what she deems proper or normal for a witch. One question though, why Lavender?"

"She stayed my friend after I turned in Harry's Firebolt. Both her and Par did for that matter." Hermione's blush was now a nice bright crimson, "Lav is a bit dingy, but she has a heart of gold. I like that."

Par startled them as she scurried in, "I heard that. Lav has a huge heart. She's mad for Harry, Ron, and you Hermione. Now why are we talking about Lav?"

"We were clearing some air. Par, I want you to know I'm bisexual." the brunet stated.

"I had my suspicions. You sneak peeks at me and Lav in the showers. Don't worry, I return the favor every chance I get. As we're more or less dating, I no longer plan on hiding it any longer. You're free to look, and touch to your two hearts contents if you let me have the same privileges. As for Lav, she's bisexual too, and proud of it. She was a bit broken up when Ron convinced Harry you were wrong about the bloody broom. I was too afraid my family would learn I the same, so I played look out. Lave hoped to reunite you and Harry as she thinks you make a cute couple and that she has a major crush on you both. She fell for you even more in all that mess, but was afraid to be caught by the Ministry after I warned her of the laws."

"I'm curious, is Pads like us too?" Ginny asked then winced at the rudeness of the assumption. "Sorry that just popped into my head."

"That's alright luv. She's straight as an arrow, and has no idea of my preferences." Parvati plopped down beside Ginny, "Outside of Lav, the only ones to know are you two and Luna. I didn't want to share or to admit to what I felt, but I've fancied Harry for as long as I can remember. Luna won my heart during the trip here. Falling for you two and Daphne followed shortly after. N matter how much I wished to be normal and be only with Harry, my heart began to long for the four of you as well. At first I thought it would be simply that we share him, but now I know that is not enough. I want to share you lot as well. Harry is the love of my life as far a a husband goes, but you four are my wives. Back at hogwarts I thought of life as Lavender's girl, and even your's Hermione, but was terrified of the laws that send such witches to Magdeline houses or even Azkaban. So I hid and only focused on the one person I was allowed, Harry. When he asked me to the Yule Ball, I actually cried in joy. I was normal and I'd win his love. Then Ron started his usual bit of trying to ruin everything if he's not happy. With how deeply he had our Harry under his thumb, fears that he'd listen to the birk and toss me over near drowned me. Well with how things turned out and us here, I want to live openly as I choose. Padma has always been the shining light for my family, and can stay that way as I just want to be happily at the side of my loves all the rest of my life.

Hearing that made Gin feel an even deeper kinship with her friend- correction girlfriend. Surprisingly her and Hermione tackle the girl with simultaneous hugs. However Hermione included a slow hopeful kiss that Par turned the heat up on. It was incredibly exciting to watch as Par's hands wove their fingers into their brunet lover's bushy hair, all while Hermione's right hand cupped their dusky lover's breast. It was just like watching her Circle snogging their far as Ginny felt as she had not a single drop of jealousy build up in her. She didn't understand why except that she knew they were all each others. They were one.

When the two parted they were glowing with love and joy.

"What of taking it slow?" she teased Hermione with a fluttering in her heart and chest.

Hermione's kiss swollen lips pursed before turning into a seductive smirk, "Are you complaining?" When Gin managed a nervous shake of her head no, her girlfriend's smirk grew more longing, "I want to live for a change and not be afraid. Gin, Par, how far to we want to take this tonight? We're free to enjoy all we feel, as long as we keep our decorum. Tower law actually would support us compared to back home."

"As far as you two want." Par blushed with a nervous smile. "I'm a virgin, but I lost my Feminine Gift our first year in broom riding class. Shooting stars are a bit of a rough ride for such things."

"I'm not a virgin anymore, thanks to Tom." Ginny was surprised at herself for admitting. "But I want our first time to be when all of us are ready."

Hermione ducked her head shyly before kissing Parvati again, giggling in just as nervous a voice as theirs, "Then I'm not that ready. I want Harry to have my cherry as they say, but... but I'm open to us doing everything but that."

Their brunet love proved this by taking Par's hand and placing it on her small pert breasts. Parvati's hand trembled as she reached out with her other hand and cupped the other one while biting her lips in nervous delight. Letting out a little chuckle from the pent up joyful trepidation, their Hindi lover let her first hand softly pull the brunet for another languid kiss. Hermione took Gin's hand up to her now free breast without breaking the kiss with Parvati. When the two parted they let out tiny giggles, before both took turns kissing Ginny.

When the other two now enthusiastically kissed again, it was sweet and tender with a slow heat that warmed the chilly room. This was well and away a thrilling sexy sight and experience for Ginny, but not as much as when they both began to rain kisses down on her. Feeling Hermione's hands began exploring the red head, Gin became nervous again when the two older witches took to caressing her intimately. Feeling them nibble kisses across her collar bone and throat she lost that hesitance in the way it set fires in her. Yet that was nothing compared to Parvati's fingers playing with her nipples, while Hermione began snogging her into seventh heaven with a hand massaging her bum.

She felt justified at letting out a yelp of alarm from the sound of Daphne's startled voice, "Light that's ... whoa! Well wow I guess as I was just getting used to being almost dating four women to- wow. I'm glad Tracey isn't seeing this as I think it's beyond hot. Hot enough to question if I'm really straight or not. Unfortunately we can't think of that right now as we have a problem. Luna left us a note on my bed, but I can't seem to read it. Well I actually think it's a modified Howler."

Sitting up and trying to get her composure back Ginny took hold of it. Nothing happened till all four girls held the pale blue folded up note. Then Luna's soft voice whispered in tearful anguish to them.

 _"My loves,_

 _Please care for and love our wizard. There is little or no hope for me, though I wished there was. Forgive me and forget me. It's safer. Run my loves. Take our man and run. Just know that I will never stop loving all of you though I fear you will not feel the same about me. Run and go home without me, for I am lost. I love you too much to let you stay for me._

 _Your lost Friend and hopefully Lover, Luna."_

"Ladies, we've got work to do. I'm not leaving her in Elaida's day longer than it takes to plan an escape and get our boys back from patrol duty." Daphne snarled.

"I'll go get the others." Ginny trembled violently. "I don't want a Shawl if this is what it'll cost us. We can't let the boys hear of this, they'll get noble."


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

 **Chapter Twenty Six: Paid Dues**

Life in the White Tower is all about duties that raise the prestige of the Tower and by extension, oneself. For the postulants and Warder trainees it works out as this is when skills are learned, and for many they intersperse jockeying for position in the future to take up the rest of the day. For the Hogwarts adventurers it was a bit redundant as they had no intention on spending the rest of their lives here. Though challenging the things they were learning about magic, life, and especially themselves, the rewards were life changing. And yet they had to return with it all to their home world to call their journey a success.

And yet Harry had no idea how to get everyone safely home, or how to even escape the iron hard grip the White Tower held on them.

All this was magnified by the steady flow of unsettling news filtering in from the outside world. Strange scary tales that made the high walls and insular society of those training in the Tower seem a safe harbor in comparison. Stories of Seanchan invaders that enslave women channelors to use as pet attack dogs. Pictures of this al'Thor fighting them were secretly passed around the city like a dirty secret or hidden hope, made the young man's conquest of the Stone of Tear feel an ominous warning of the impending apocalypse.

But then the world inside the Tower was not so serine and calm either. Not when the Hall hushed up the murderous revolt and escape of Black Ajah Aes Sedai, whom were supposedly a mythical fabrication of the bigoted Whitecloaks. With them running amuck in the Tower, it made the disappearances of Novices and Accepted that much more terrifying. Some of these were reported as having ran off to serve this al'Thor as he conquered the world. Then was the odd way the Red Ajah was acting of late, and Gawyn's secretive meetings with them.

Hearing of the fall of the unbreakable Stone of Tear, had Harjit positive that this was not another False Dragon. Al'Thor had also purportedly drew forth _Callandor_ , if true only a pure blind fool could doubt this man's being the Dragon. Rand al'Thor was the Dragon and this Age was doomed.

On a personal note, when Harry heard the rumor confirmed to be true the day they returned from their week out on patrol, he was hit with an uncontrollable bout of shaking and a deep anguish that even all his Voices seemed to share. It only passed when the Weasley Twins forced him to drink a calming draught that put him into a deep sleep. Sadly it was not a dreamless slumber as he was bombarded with lifelike moments of what could be called memories. Lives and battles that were so real he wanted to howl in rage at the savagery witnessed, or more terrifying were the tender moments with dream women he ached to hold once more. Those last included that Min and Elayne, which in turn tore his wretched heart to shreds as they played along with slices of his times with his five true loves.

When he'd awoken after his Voices unanimously screamed at him in warning of some looming threat, the day's burgeoning iron grey predawn felt off to him. Great and terrible events were about to further rip asunder their fracturing world. Rousing his mates he urgently felt it was time, well past time actually, to leave Tar Valon.

Shaking his best mate Neville awake first, Harry quickly spoke in a thickly accented English, "Get ready, we're leaving. I'll wake the others, but don't be for woolgathering."

"The girls?" his best mate asked blearily, "They will be fugitives like Egwene and the rest." Hearing that girl's name had Harjit further off balance. Why that was he refused to contemplate as it was wrong and impossible. Plus they had little time to waste on anything but to escape the Tower.

"No helping it. Blood will flow today." Harry spoke over his shoulder in his turning to wake Blaise, whom sprang to his feet ready to fight like a spooked cat. Harjit merely stated to their jumpy mate, "We're leaving."

"No we can't be. Tracey was looking forward to serving the Amyrlin as she meets with the Greys today." the former Slytherin grumbled while sheathing his poniard.

"She still might if she doesn't mind trouble. The air just crackles with war and violence." he informed his lean friend. "Now let's get packed and go." Harry commanded, glad to see the twins already waking with Blaise's frightened ruckus.

With everybody up and moving he too dressed quickly and put on his new pin and pendant. They may have to look lordly to trick the Tower Guards into letting them out.

None of his mates questioned him. Not only had they all been unnerved by all that was happening, they were more alarmed at how the girls had become rather secretive and frightened of late. Not a one would talk about what was going on in their lives in the Tower, or why Luna was growing despondent. If not for patrol duty out in the lands surrounding Tar Valon, they would have rounded the lot up for a long pointed sit down. If the boys didn't like what the witches said, they were going to snatch'em up and make a run for it.

These Aes Sedai were proving untrustworthy, in the wizards opinion.

Confirmation of trouble came with the sight of an agitated Gawyn and his own mates slipping out a side door in full battle kits. Outside waiting for that lot were a handful of Red Sisters and a score of Tower Guardsmen. For the band of five wizards this was a sign that they were steadily running out of valuable time. Reds never visit the Gaiden Quarters, as most shunned men in all facets of their lives outside of hunting them.

"Do you think they figured out what we are?" Neville asked worriedly as the five ghosted along to the Accepted's Quarters. "If they have, getting out will be a bit of a neat trick. More with the girls going half native and all. I'm not saying they'll fight us, but they've been too secretive for my liking."

"If they were after us, we wouldn't have woke up." Harry answered as they melted into the shadowy servants' halls.

Blaise snorted, "More like they'd try to use the girls to bring us in for "our own good", but at least Tracey is smarter than that."

Harjit and the other wizards had to work to speak only in their native English. Two years give or take of nothing but Common, except for an occasional word or two, was not conducive to communicating in anything but this Age's tongue. To survive even their thoughts had to be formed in Common. Case in point was Harry and Neville's real names sometimes felt alien to them out of fear they forgot and let slip who they were. Elaida and the rest of the Reds would only be to happy to see them as a spot of fun to bring down like foxes in a lord's hunt. So being Harjit and Frank was all they responded to these days.

No matter if even their loves sometimes slipped up, the boys didn't have that luxury.

Odd sights abounded this day as Sisters were speeding by in worried groupings of single Ajahs only. When they came across other Ajahs they would hedge around one another as if expecting the others to tear them to shreds in the next breath. Only the Blues looked unafraid, or more likely kept out of the loop specifically. With Reds among the unbonded Gaiden and the way the other Ajahs acted, this was probably going to be an attack on the Blue. Though the others were uncertain if they may be targeted too.

"Should we have killed Gawyn back there?" Blaise asked coldly, "The little lordling will do what any Aes Sedai says to him first. He was probably bounced on Elaida's knee, so she has the first dibs I wager."

"And butcher a few hundred of his idiot sycophants while at it?" Fred let out a dismissive snort while eying a group of Red leaning Accepted.

George spat from behind, "I couldn't have done that. Some are still juggling their swords in sparring."

"Too true brother mine. Infanticide is so unbecoming."

Moving through the corridors and the occasional courtyard, these five made it to the still slumbering Accepted's Quarters. It was eerie to now realize they had not seen many of the Banded out this morning, save those practically sworn to the Red.

Neville muttered in a grim whisper, "What of Emmatilde and Seandra, they're still in their All Whites? If there is blood work, they may become soft targets."

"We'll need the girls. Sheriam Sedai will tear out our livers and make us eat them if she sees us around the Novice Quarters." Blaise pointed out.

Stalking silently down into the Accepted's Quarters they were not without observers, some Warders were out and watching the five with curiosity. Harjit and his mates ignored them, or more acted as if they did. Sometimes the best way to be overlooked was to act as if you belonged. Being questioned now would cost them even more time that they did not have.

Banded dressed women were starting to be seen getting up and moving about, which was worrisome to the escape conscious men. Harjit prayed vehemently that their nine were not also leaving, or worse left already, for early morning duties. If they were dressed or readying themselves for the day then that could speed things along. However if the witches were out already, even just leaving by one of the many other ways in or out from where the boys came in, then the escape may be dangerously prolonged or stopped altogether. He hoped their reticence in dealing with the lot's recent odd behavior had not doomed them all.

Leery of their watching audience of Warders, the five split up to seek out their publicly known loves or family. Expedience alone would have had them seek out Luna's cell first as she was the closest to their entry point. However none of the boys were recognized as being personally connected to her outside of being friendly acquaintances. Thus Harry had to run up several flights of stairs and across two interconnecting bridges to reach Parvati's room in the mostly derelict Accepted's Quarters. With so few postulants coming in for centuries the two complexes built to hold the Novices and Accepted were falling into disrepair. Instead of keeping one or two buildings up, the Tower just spread everyone out to the most usable rooms in all the buildings. Another deterrent for the impromptu escape.

Reaching his known betrothed's door, he hammered on it with a growing urgency. His panic laced silent prayer that she and the others were not out nearly escaped his lips in a grimace. Nothing came with the first, second, or the quickly followed third time, precipitously raising his anxiety to new heights. About ready to bolt for Hermione's next, he banged away a forth time and got a response, but not from whom he wished.

Theodrin, Par's neighbor peered out from her own door blearily.

"Harjit? What are you here this early for?" the woman accusingly questioned.

"Troubling news." he said in a half truth, "Parvati needs to hear it. Do you know where she is at?" he asked quickly, afraid he'd wasted too much time as it were.

For a second she looked worried to say something, as she darted her eyes down and away. Then with a hesitant sigh, she looked up into his eyes. For a moment or two she studies him carefully before confiding with a cautioning tone, "I'm not absolutely certain, but she spends..." Her eyes grow even more worried and a bit consoling, "She spends her nights in one of her friends rooms. That Hermione down a floor and over twelve doors. Harjit..." she almost sounded as if she were begging him to be prepared for something unpleasant, "Harjit you realize how irregular it is for you to be here at this hour? They... She won't be expecting you."

She actually looked as if she was about to stop him and not let him go.

"I know, but it's too important. By the way, today is not likely to be a good one. If I'm right, remember to run. Don't stand about or try to do anything, just run." He informed the woman. Par said they were friendly, and that the witch was a decent sort on the whole.

"What do you mean?" Theodrin stepped out in only her shift with a concerned frown.

Blushing at how nice she looked like this, Harry tried to look away, "We have Red Sisters talking with unbonded trainees in the Gaiden Quarters. Then Sisters are nervous and moving about in groups of only their own Ajahs. I could be crazy, but maybe I'm not."

Nodding her head solemnly the woman replied quietly, taking his hand in a vice like grip, "Thank you. I'll get myself ready a bit early and carry what coin I have. Never know if I can be ready but I'll try. Now go to your woman, she is still a slip of a girl. All of her friends are, so don't be surprised... Don't be surprised at them being unwise in things. Remember they are a good lot and that I think she loves you with all her heart. She just might have gotten carried away." Her eyes were pleading with him to understand her so that she did not have to speak of what she feared. "And I can see that you might hide it, but you do have a heart in that frigid persona you tote about."

Unsure what she was hinting at, he bowed with a slight grin, "It is for a Gaiden to protect his Aes Sedai as best he can with all the devotion of a thousand or more men. I'll always have that and more as I love her with every fiber of my being."

"If I was a full Sister I believe I'd wish to have a Warder like you. Take care Harjit, and please heed what I said. You two make such a beautiful couple. She's just young, as are they." She blushed with worried tears building in her eyes as she hurried back into her own room.

Taking off at a ground eating lope, he made for Hermione's room. Were they all there? He prayed they were. It would get dicey if he had to search the Tower for them. Already more and more Accepted were out and about, leaving it less likely that his friends and lovers were still there. If they were bonded, he'd know much more clearly what the lay of the land were.

Yet they weren't so he had to do his best with what he had.

Meeting Neville on the level, the two shared a silent worried glance. Not wasting time for words they tried not to run, but it took a supreme effort on their parts. This day was closer to blooming into full light and they had yet to find their loves.

Locating Hermione's door, Harry banged on it with a trembling fist. Afraid of having missed her, or finding that they were not interested in leaving yet. The whole lot of the Hogwarts withes were dead set on attaining their Shawls. Expecting the worst may give him heartburn, but it would keep him from being surprised by it. That and it made the better outcomes that far more sweeter.

But sometimes the Wheel threw in the completely unexpected.

"Who is it?" a voice demanded. One he was floored to hear again.

"Harjit Truhart," he started with a sick lurch of his stomach, as she knew exactly who he really was and her loyalty was to those he did not wish to deal with today of all days. "Naleva Sedai." Fears for the girls had him grip his sword hilt with whitening knuckles.

"Enter." she commanded cooly.

Having no options available, he reluctantly obeyed in hopes of saving the girls somehow. Stepping in, followed by Neville, he entered the Void in preparation of giving his last full measure to see his loves and friends safe. Seeing whom else was in the room heightened his fears to the stratosphere, "Hello Goodman Potter. I imagine that you are not too pleased to see me. That is fine, but I truly could care less. You're not whom I cared to have found myself talking with either."

Behind the woman was another Aes Sedai that Harry only knew by sight, but heard that she was a rabid accomplished hunter of his kind. Watching her stride over to him, eying him like a slug in need of being dunked in a bucket of salt, he wanted to curse and rage. However neither would see the rest of them safe or rescued.

Lifting his chin with one negligent finger, she purred, "He'll work. Thank you Naleva, this will make up for your earlier blunders."

"What will I do well as?" he coldly inquired.

"Silence! You will no longer speak unless one of your handlers wishes it." the woman sneered with a flick of her finger's long nail slicing open his chin.

"I speak when I wish it." Harjit growled defiantly.

"Then you shall have to be-." she began but stopped with a strangled gasp.

The door opened again with Hermione and a smirking Angelina entering, the latter chuckled with terrifying grimness, "I'm glad I learned this from Sheriam Sedai. Shielding is such a neat trick for emergencies."

"Release me!" the woman demanded, but had stepped back behind Naleva in fear.

Stepping to the side Naleva spoke and left them all gobsmacked, "Angelina, don't you dare let it go. If you ever want Harry and Neville to come back alive." the Red urged his friend, "Tenesirin is a recruiter and collector. She needs a False Dragon to discredit the claims of the boy who conquered the Stone. No one trained like the one's in the Stable, but just some poor soul to let the panicked mobs tear limb from limb."

Hermione stormed over to look the older witch in the eye, "What? You know they are channelors? How?"

"From the first time we met on those stairs so long ago. If one touches me, I can sense it in them. I'm only a hound for the Red. To my Sisters I'm barely human." the woman confessed without batting an eye. "Why do you think Taymirin let your male friends come along with you to the Tower. Though I think the other Sisters had their own agendas as well."

"Naleva!" the other Red gasped, "No!"

"I'm tired of being your hound and pet." the coldness in Naleva's voice silenced the other, "Elaida will be Amyrlin and her changes will run counter to your cabal. I don't intend to burn alongside you, or- knowing how much you lot care for me- for you." Then the nasty tempered witch turned to the others, "Now I suggest you murder her or they will have your lovely boys all propped up to be expendable False Dragons."

"Please! No!" the Red cried in terror, "You can't!"

Hermione looked as if she were going to be sick as she squawked, "We can't!"

"Well I can't as my Oaths forbid it." Naleva sneered in disgust, "You're not so constrained now are you my dear children."

"Why are you suggesting it then?" Hermione hotly accused, "Do you think we're cold blooded murderers?"

"She comes with us." Harry decided knowing that this was likely a mistake. "Same as you Naleva. Hermione, Angelina get-."

"We know, Fred told us. We've been planning to make a run for it soon, just not this soon." Angelina replied with a grimace, "We have a problem though. Luna is serving Elaida. We just can't go and get her."

"Why-?" he began but Naleva answered him by cutting in with a shudder of what may be resigned horror.

"Elaida is one of those Sisters that have... tastes. I will go retrieve her in exchange for a favor later. And believe me Potter, you will owe me." she looked as sick and frightened as Hermione was about the earlier suggestion of homicide. "Meet me in the south docks. The Golden Maid will be pulling anchor in a few hours. If you're set on taking her with you. Then make use of her. She has births for her and the boys set aside."

"I'll go with you." Harry interjected, "Luna won't trust you otherwise."

"No Harry I'll go with her." Hermione put in.

"No..." the witch held up a shaky hand, "No she wouldn't want that. Neither of you should come, Elaida may or may not have scratched her itch yet, and your arrival may not be welcomed. Just go, and trust me." Naleva forestalled any further arguments from him with her trembling hand on his shoulder, "I swear on my life Luna will be safe in my hands, and I will pull her out of... I'll get her out."

Harry was about to ask why he couldn't come, in spite of Naleva's hinted warnings, but the other Sister spat with derision, "You know full well Nal, Elaida won't let go of a pet so easily. Not when she is about to ascend, or are you hoping for a welcome home."

"I'll make my own home from now on thank you very much. And dear Sister, think for once before speaking. She will give me Luna exactly because she is ascending. Or at least let me _keep_ the child out of view." Naleva rounded on the other Red with a defiant sneer, "When all is done today I'm praying to be the one to serve your cabal up to the Hall and Elaida. Ten years of service is too long a time to wait, but I've done that and more for the right moment. It would serve you right if they don't still you and hand you over to the Children."

Before the Red could reply, Naleva left with a determined vindictive smile.

"What was all that about? What is Luna even doing with Elaida?" Harry growled.

A strangled sound told him of the Air gag in Tenesirin Sedai's mouth. Spinning on his heel towards the other witches, he gave them a stern questioning look.

Angelina cooly answered this like an old seasoned Aes Sedai, "Nothing for you to worry on right now."

"We need to be going, the Patils were going to round up Emm and Seandra." Hermione stated while taking his hand to firmly lead him out. "It sounds as if we're about to be caught up in a small coup. Sitting around gabbing isn't going to help us."

Leaving as they did raised more than a few eyebrows, but he was glad they were going. Though he worried about Luna, he had to take Naleva at her word that she would retrieve his love. He knew it would be suicide for him to enter the Red Ajah himself and that he dared not send in the other girls if Luna could not free herself. His only hope was the sharp tongued Naleva. A strange turn for a wizard to trust a Red to aid him and those he loves.

Looking at Hermione whom kept avoiding making eye contact, he wondered what could they be keeping from him about Elaida and Luna. However thoughts on this were cut short with them meeting up with the rest. All the witches looked jumpy when they took in the sight of him and the Red Sister but determination burned in their eyes as well. If only they weren't four short. Par and Pads had yet to return with the groups two Ghealdaner friends.

Coming close to bouncing on his toes in agitation Harry stared balefully off towards the forbidden Novice Quarters. His love and friends were in there. Yet if he went in, there would be trouble by the bushels. Men were not ever allowed in there unless under the strict supervision of the Mistress of Novices. It made sense but then again it was far from helpful just now.

Stealthily slipping out a rarely used side exit, Padma looked around with panic till she saw them. Running to them she was swept up into Neville's arms with frightened tears streaming down her face.

"I got away. There are Red Sisters sweeping the entire complex for postulants. Par and the others were not so lucky. They were being herded away by Tower Guards. My sister was getting that temper of hers up. Oh Nev, I was terrified." she wept into her wizard's chest.

Harry had heard enough. Barking at Neville, he commanded, "Take Tenesirin and get to that boat. Don't let any one try to stop you. Your in command till I get back."

Warning bells began to peal as dim sounds of sporadic fighting ring out evilly.

"Go on you lot, we don't have time. I'm going in for Parvati and the other two." he ordered . He might not be able to personally rescue Luna but he could do so for Par.

"Harry!" Ginny ran and grabbed his wrist, "We can't be separated. We'll all go get her."

"We'll meet up later. Just go, please. I can move faster to get them by myself and you lot need to get aboard the boat." he kissed her while dashing off into the Novice Quarters by the same way Pads came out of.

Distant battle sounds were ringing out all over. He cursed the Wheel for tearing his family apart for this fools farce the Reds are putting on.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ginny started to follow her lovely daft wizard, however Hermione and Daphne's restraining hands halted that. Whipping about in outrage, she was pulled up short by her Slytherin Circlemate's pleading eyes. It was a look she imagined was on her own face upon watching Hermione drowning in the Arches. This wasn't just the plea of a panicky friend, but the anguish of a soul mate afraid to lose the one they loved.

"Daphne?" she asked in stunned concern.

"Harry can take care of this by himself, but we've got to get that boat ready for us all. Gin, I can't let you run off and watch you die again." Daphne begged, there was no question in her mind where such a scene was witnessed by the older witch.

Paused by this, she whimpered, "But Harry and Par? What of Luna?"

Daphne's jaw clenched tight as she sagely replied, "We have to trust Harry."

"And I trust Naleva to get our Luna. You didn't see the look in her eyes. She won't let Luna stay in Elaida's hands." Hermione assured them. "It was kind of frightening."

Yielding reluctantly, she followed the rest as they ran for all they were worth. Tracey, Padma, Blaise, and Neville were clearing away any obstacles such as Tower Guards or what not, while her brothers and soon to be sisters in-law kept a tight leash on their Red captive. This was her fear from the Arches made real, and she'd not let the Wheel steal anyone from her again.

Watching her Hermione running at her side, she saw that the bloody cruel Arches had gave her a warning of what was coming. When they were free of the Tower, she'd not let her loves out of her sight again. Not a single bloody one if she has a say in it.

Beyond her brunet Circlemate, down a wide boulevard lined with trees, Ginny saw a band of red Sisters and a few Tower Guards leading chained Novices and Accepted they were forcing to drink something from steaming water skins. One of the Reds looked her way and smiled with an unheard command that had the main bulk of soldiers running to cut off her family's escape. That foursome of Red traitors were linking together, which could make them dangerous to any single witch in a fight.

Grabbing her two Circlemates' hands she yelled, "Link with me now!"

They did seamlessly, amplifying their individual power to where they eclipsed that of those traitorous hags. In the nick of time too as the quartet threw out a few Shields, one slipped over Alicia causing her to stumble in the shocking confusion a witch experiences from such. Their friend's stagger allows their own prisoner to try and make bid for freedom by shoving Ange to break the held Shield. Not letting that drama distract her, Gin hurls a ball of scorching hot Air infused with Fire at the oncoming troops. Seeing the steaming hissing mass incoming has the muggle men leaping for cover in confused surprise.

Behind her Ange snarls, "I ain't done in that easy bint!"

Out of the corner of her eye Ginny saw her muscular friend give the Red Sister a right cross that drops the cow to the ground. A satisfying sight but Gin was a bit to busy to celebrate. Seeing the Shield weave severing Alicia from the One Power, she whips out a blade of Spirit to cut that off, then have to resist one sent her own way.

These Sisters had decades more experience in combat with the One Power than the Hogwarts witches. A grim reality that Gin was all too well aware of, yet she had to keep her family safe. So to give her foes something to dodge for a change she called the Fire from the still lit street lamps to arch up and out like flailing whips to break her opponents' concentrations. Their response was a chilly wall of ice that blocked that, and a new wave of Shields for the teens. She set to countering that with a barrage of minor jinxes, that had the muggle troops sprouting boils, bat boogies, and wildly flailing hair. Mixed in with this were weaves of super heated Air she had aimed straight at the Sisters to have them back away enough for the group to start moving again.

Proving their higher skill and own battle savvy, the quartet nearly take Ginny's Circle unaware with a small weave that set fire to a wooden fruit cart behind the teens. Another tiny weave of Air sliced the cart and its horse free from the post it was tethered to. This was followed up by a hard slap to the horse's hindquarters to charge it into them. All of this was hidden amongst a third rain of Shields and Air weaves to pin the boys in place. Only one of the Air weaves made it through to knock Fred from his feet as he hoisted their captive over his shoulder. The trick with the burning fruit cart may have worked if Ginny wasn't nearly as adept at seeing the tiny details as her Harry was. In her natural spacial awareness she was wickedly capable of noting the hard to catch, but in the enhanced sense of awareness that embracing Saidar brings, she was near eagle eyed.

Dragging her friends to the side, she ripped control of the burning cart away from these veteran witches. In a frightened split second move, she swung a sharp whip of Fire and Air to sever all the traces and poles holding the cart to the horse. She did this in part to save the terrified horse and in part to gain some ammunition. Digging into the link's ability to share talents, she decided it was time she put the Red cows to the test. Using Hermione's talents with Air and Daphne's Water, she meshed them with her Fire to catapult the blazing crates of fruit at their foes. She stole a play from their opponent's own play book by sneaking in a weave of Fire and Earth under their very feet. With a smirk of vindictive satisfaction she watches as it ignites the traitorous cows' long skirts in flames. Breaking that lot's link in the offing, she cuts the chains on the dazed group of captive postulants before leading her own family and friends away.

The closer they got to the docks they ran into more and more Tower Guards. One set had built an elaborate if impromptu series of barricades. Fearing that she'd hurt the muggle citizens of Tar Valon gathering to watch the unusual scene of troops sealing the city shut, she slowed to find an alternate path. Tracey though didn't even pause as she unleashed a thin tornado that had all those milling around, run screaming away. The Slytherin grimly grinned as she held it till the improvised palisade was no longer barring the way.

It was brilliant, Gin thought. Now if they could avoid anymore interruptions so that they could get their escape boat ready to set sail.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Soft cooling trickles of the One Power awaken her from a nightmare of her coming unwanted nuptials. All her maids of honor were her Circlemates chained together by the bloody entrails of their wizard. His body was a gruesome centerpiece for the reception's buffet table. As horrifying as that were, her mad Mistress was cackling in lewd delight as she demanded Luna open the bidding for her Circlemates to be sold as party favors for the chortling faceless masses attending the reception.

"Why haven't they ran?" she sobbed as her swollen eyes tried opening. She was to be Healed and dressed like a young innocent girl for her forced bonding and marriage to Elaida. This series of cold touches must be part of that effort to present her to the Red Ajah.

Above her was a familiar face that incongruently was overflowing with sadness. "Quiet child, I must Heal you of these vile _love marks_ from that- that woman. I don't have much strength or talent with this so it must be these tiny bursts. For that I'm sorry." Naleva Sedai sadly cautioned.

"Are you just making me pretty for her?" she demanded in a shuddering cringe.

"No, you are too precious for that. The one assigned to do that will sleep for a few days. That ingenious little potion of Fred and George's is quite remarkable. Stealing some from them has proven fortuitous. Now I refuse to allow the world to witness your degradation and humiliation at the hands of that loathsome- Never you mind that, you must disrobe and then I'll burn this abominable attire. You are an angel, not this- this abomination they've tried to make of you. We must hurry as that Potter boy of yours and your cabal of friends are escaping. They would have came for you themselves, but such a plan was doomed from the outset. Now do hurry child, I swore to see you safe." Naleva continued to work at Healing her in small jolts. The internal damage had to be passed up on for now, but not the ones to her secret places. Sharp spikes of fear the witch was about to rape her too were assuaged as the abrasions and burns were banished.

Putting trust in the witch, Luna undressed from her parody Accepted's dress and accompanying rope harness. Fury at the thought of the things erupted in her as she embraced Saidar to incinerate the lot. She wanted to do more, but felt too weak and sick for anything else. Shame and horror overcame her sense of reason, robbing her sleep deprived limbs of their strength. Elaida enjoyed forcing her to stay just at the edge of total collapse, so she hardly had even a modicum of strength left in her at all.

Catching her up in a tender hug, the normally sharp tongued witch bundled her up in one of the beds huge blankets. "I've got you child. Your safe."

"My stuff? My Comforter!" she tried to look around frantically. "I can't leave that."

"There is only your purses. Are you sure you want to worry about them?" Naleva questioned in disbelief.

"Yes..." she was so weak, "Charmed..."

"Ah... I'll get them. Child you must never tell another Aes Sedai of those. Be the Raven that Rowan would be proud to call his daughter." Luna vaguely heard Naleva say before exhaustion took her away once more.

Odd vivid dreams that include her and her family battling in a broken room for something small had her near screaming in some unutterable anguish.

A harsh argument woke her up to being on a slowly rocking world. She was bundled in that blanket still, and had her purses, bags, and rope belt tying it closed. How she got here was completely a mystery. She just was glad that it was not Elaida's room. She was free.

"You will get this tub ready to be a moving you grog swilling Murondian heathen. You will or I'll start seeing how fire proof it is. The Tower demands your state cabin and two more outside of the first two initially agreed upon. You know you will be compensated, so stop trying to rile me."

"But Naleva Sedai," a long lanky man near gibbered, "Tenesirin Sedai was very explicit about cargo and passengers."

"She will be along shortly. Now make ready as I've commanded." the witch still carrying Luna bridal style barked sharply.

Shouted commands and thundering footfalls followed this. Weakly looking around the tiny waif of a witch saw she was on a fat river boat. Her rescuer was chivvying any that dared stay too long in one place.

"Where-?" she began.

"Hush child, I'm seeing to- Light be merciful, that's a lot of Saidar." the older witch grunted in yearning fear as there was a burst of the One Power near the docks.

Both witches looked that way in shock to witness a thin long tornado tearing the city apart. Screaming winds and people from inside the city coalesced with the thundering roar of Air being unleashed.

"Cast off boys. We're not going to be staying for any of that to be sent our way." the man from earlier commanded.

"Try it captain and I'll sink us." Naleva spat, causing the crew to pale with a worried eye towards the captain. "You have orders to stay till Tenesirin says to pull anchor, and you will do just that or I put her to the bottom."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Watching her sister go check to see if the way was clear, Parvati was ready to tear the livers out of a pair of certain young witches. They had been warned to always be ready in case the day came they all had to flee. It was a rather clear warning in her opinion. But no, the darlings lived in a world far different than she did apparently and thought being ready meant just having one's belongings put up on pretty shelves in neat array.

That and insisting on running to tell a few friends to also be packing it all in to join in the emergency flight. Not that Par would disallow the lot to come along, but for Merlin's sake all of them should've been packed already. Emergency evacuation means run now, not in a few hours or two till the movers finally arrive.

Luckily Par had been taught packing charms by her mother, so most of it all was now neatly ready for their mad escape from here, "That's it. The rest is a loss. We can't stay girls."

"But what will happen to us if we run?" a tiny new Novice of about eleven whimpered.

"We'll come back after a time. It's just not safe now." Par hugged the girl and started to lead them out.

Searching the area around the level her and the girls were on, she pushes down the bile of anxiety she was getting from taking so long. It helped to relocate Pads whom was down on a lower level heading towards a lesser used side entrance to these quarters. With her twin sister flashing her a few hand signs the pair developed as precocious preteens, she knew the way was clear for the moment. Thoughts of being that young silly set trying to slip out the family floo connection to eat sundays at Florian Fortesque's, she had to re-evaluate her anger at these younger or more innocent girls. Their world was crumbling to dust around their ears, but that didn't give her the right to leave these dears to face fates unknown. She simply had to lay her trust in Ange and her wickedly brilliant Hermione to rescue Luna as the Red Ajah knew Parvati was as good as a lock for the Green in that she was publicly betrothed to Harry. To the man hating Reds, such a condition was a sin beyond the pall.

Though Ange was a known Green in all but name, she was also not openly sworn to them and was considered a prized rising talent. Hermione and Luna joined the Tower together as coming from the same region and were known best friends in the Novice Quarters. And as another rising star prize in the ranks of the Accepted, the brunet might be allowed in, in hopes of poach her from the Brown. Plus if trouble came, the two witches were powerful unto themselves, but linked they could likely face down far larger numbered circles.

Parvati had to trust them and not try to be the one to fight all the battles. Her dear sister keeps saying that she has the same noble git attitude as Harjit, charge in spells flying heedless of the risks. But then Pads was not the one whose treasured Circlemate was imprisoned in that den of treasonous harpies.

"I heard she's one of those icky Pillow Friend types." a fourteen year old in the far back whispered conspiratorially, "I hope she doesn't think I'll let her seduce me."

"Hush Nicarin, you don't know what you're talking about. She's got a promised beau whose way too cute to think about anything else. His eyes make my heart skip a beat every time I see him." a companion of the other contradicted that.

"So? I heard from a reliable source that she... she sleeps with that know it all priss Hermione. They have a little club I hear." that Nicarin countered with a titter.

A different girl sighed longingly, "Well if she doesn't want her man anymore, I'd take him. He's a bit scary, but he has that smile."

"If she asked me to join her club I would." another stated loftily, "It might be fun and anyway, it's all just so a girl can get friends she can trust when finally is raised to the Shawl. It's not as if they're in love, as that would be disturbing."

"Ewww! Havlia, you Cairhienin are disgusting." Nicarin spat.

"No, we're pragmatic. Besides it gets boring waiting for the Tower to raise a girl. How else is she going to relieve stress." this Havlia snorted arrogantly.

"I knit." a timid voice cut in. "It's dreadfully fun and makes such pretty things."

Giggling the eleven year old put in, "You do? I love embroidery but mum wanted to have me knit and crochet like her. Do you think you can show me how? I'll teach you how to embroider if you'd like."

"Ooh that sounds ever so fun." the knitting enthusiast cheered.

"Oh, can I join?" another one begged.

Rolling her eyes, Par leads them on wishing the lot of ninnies would keep it down. She silently gave thanks that it was her to lead the lot and Pads to act as scout. Her twin was a rather prim and stern witch on the whole and would have gave the dears a bit of a tongue lashing for all this. As it were the former Gryffindor was close to it if they didn't stop this fascinated chin wag about her sexuality, or what it was rumored to be. Or if she'd ever think to discard her Harry because of said inclinations. She had no time to address these issues right now, so she just leveled them with a cowing glare.

That served to silence the lot so that was a blessing.

Moving through the warren of near abandoned buildings she led the lot on. Moving with a stealthy care so as to not catch anyone's notice. Already Pads had told her to shove their little flock of goslings into one of the empty cells to hide from a squad of soldiers and a fuming Red Sister. Another time they were forced to sneak over an interconnecting walkway above the heads of a pair of agitated Tower Guards.

Taking a staircase down to the main courtyard below, she fought not to let her worry for her loves have a resurgence in her heart. It had found a renewed vigor when she saw the hedgerow her and her Circle would sit by in its shade to play at the ball of light game. If these ninnies had cost her... No they were just simply silly girls that thankfully still held onto a naive innocence. They were not the ones at fault, that blame lay at the feet of one witch alone, Elaida the Red Hag.

Delightful images of having Elaida staked to a huge roaring medieval bonfire gave Parvati a warm little smile.

Up ahead Pads frantically was shooing her to herd the lot back up the stairs. Turning to urge them on led to a chaotic mob rush. In the mayhem, the youngest was bumped hard enough by the rest to let out an indignant yowl of protest. It wasn't much but shortly there after a man's warning whistle sliced through the air. With it her blood froze in her veins while she immediately embraced Saidar to protect her young charges.

"Run! Don't wait up for me, just run." she commanded then turned to face what ever came to answer that signal.

Pads was coming to aid her but she gave her sister a negative shake of her head as a tear slid down her cheek. If she fell she would never be able to tell her Harjit and Circle how much she loved them. However she would burn the world to ash in order to protect these silly girls.

There was the electric rush of a weave coming her way. Spinning to face it she sees the Red Sister from earlier leading that squad of guards at the double quick. Not wasting time for thought she slashes down whatever the Red had sent. In calculated retaliation she hurls a storm of five different weaves to interdict the troops running to catch the fleeing Novices. The girls had to be protected at all cost.

One man was sent sailing by a chunky weave of Air to his middle. His grunt of disbelief was satisfying. Two others were hit with joke jinxes from her Hogwarts years. The first of these found his own hands slapping him silly, the other was howling in horror as his feet took to doing a Russian style heel kick dance. A fourth man found his boots transfigured to stone that melded seamlessly with the stone walkway at his feet. She missed the fifth unfortunately as he dove to the side at the sight of all his mates.

Giving the teen no time to think, the Red whipped off three weaves that shot out at odd angles. Cannily the older witch had made the stones beneath Par's feet slick with an oily sheen, causing the Accepted to have to grab hold of the railing to stay upright. Coming in at a lower trajectory was a Shield weave that Par only saw because of her near fall. Having caught sight of it, she shredded it with Air and Spirit. However the third was not aimed at her but that Nicarin who'd just used her freshly packed heavy tote bag to whollop the man Parvati missed. This weave yanked the young girl perilously close to falling from the stairs.

Still hanging barely on herself Parvati flicked out a pair of Air weaves to catch and drag the girl to safety. A third she used to counter a second Shield, but missed one that made her skin feel on fire. Cutting that one with a strangled yell, the British Hindi witch flung an overpowered stinging hex at the cow in retaliation. This didn't make it through as the Sister parried it with a deflective weave of Water. More troops were arriving in the mean time, herding and rounding up the Novices she'd been trying to protect.

Snarling a few choice curses in Hindi, she fought to completely regain her feet to put the Sister down. If she did, they might stand a chance against the muggle guardsmen. If it cost her, her very life, she'd not willingly allow any of them to fall into the hands of Elaida's sort. Hearing their naive chatter of earlier confirmed in her mind that innocence still existed. Such a treasure should be safeguarded against all that might despoil it.

"Yield girl. You've lost, admit it." the Red demanded with a sneer, tossing a few more weaves of some sort at the teen.

"I'm not done yet traitor!" she spat as she cut those down and unleashed her own barrage of weaves in two waves. The first set was a bulky one of Air and Earth to choke the Air, accompanied by a Shield. These were rather large and were mainly to hide the ones behind. This second weave set were an _incarcerous_ charm and a second Shield. The Red was the key and had to be taken out of the fight or they were all doomed.

As hoped the second set got through, to the smug witch's chagrin and Par's relief. Now to finish this and get the girls free.

"Tell them to let the girls go." she commanded the Red.

"How? Your just a child." the witch spluttered in frightened anger.

"I'm made from sterner stuff. Now let the girls go." she shook her captive with Air.

The woman just glowered. Feeling a bit cross, Parvati dug into her childhood full of joke hexes, jinxes, and curses that all Hogwarts students pick up. There was one that wasn't painful sounding but she personally knew to be quite cruel if left in place or made too strong.

Unleashing it she saw the older woman's eyes bulge then her lips purse in rebellion as she fought the curse. Par was a master of it from having little jinx wars with her twin now and again. The woman's resistance broke in a howl of laughter from the fiendishly deceptive tickle curse. Writhing around in gales of supreme, breath stealing mirth, the witch stared at her in horror. So too did the troops gathering the girls up.

"I said let the girls go. I can make this much worse. I can even make you have long growing hair to hang you with. I can make boils the size of Andoran Crowns erupt out all over your body. For fun I can even give you the ears of a donkey to match the treasonous heart beating in your chest. Do not play with me. Let the girls go." She coldly decreed to the now frightened Red Sister.

"Par, watch out!" Seandra shouted as she fought to break free of a solder. About that time another weave was splitting the air with an electrical surge to her soul.

She wasn't fast enough or strong enough to cast off a Shield from a link of two vile Red Sisters hustling in. Behind this pair came a swarm of more men and boys. Many of the muggle men were ones she knew to be of Gawyn's army of lap dogs.

"You must be more careful Sister. The Green would be cross with us if this one is hurt. They'll ransom her for a fair few concessions." an older blond Sister with grey at her temples decreed imperiously, bringing on an agitated blush to Parvati's former captive's face. "Hurry you apes and round up all these girls. Let's be done with this already. You boy," the woman snapped at a man with more grey to his hair and beard than brown, "start dosing the silly things up with the Forkroot so that we can see the darlings properly cared for. We have too much to be about today for all of your native male slothfulness."

"Yes, Aes Sedai." the man bowed and hurried to obey by snatching a steaming waterskin from a boy no older than Nicarin.

All the Novices were being dragged in kicking and screaming. In the mean time Par's Shield was being handed off to the first Red, whom was giving her the evil eye. As all this was happening a boy that followed Gawyn around like a lost puppy bounded in.

"Siarin Sedai, we found that Corilta Sedai you requested." the traitor saluted the oldest and clearly strongest Sister there, "She's heading south." That had the second lot charge off at a sprint. Now back down to the ones she could handle alone, Par prepared herself.

The treacherous cow wouldn't be expecting a physical blow and may let go of the Shield. Par just knew that if she were forced to drink whatever this potion they were pouring down the captive witches throats, she'd be done for. That and if she missed her shot on the Sister she'd not get another. This would have to be hard, and it would have to be quick.

The Red strolled over to her purring malevolently, "Well Wilder, what were we discussing earlier? Let me make things clear to you, Child, I know that you think you are something special. That delusion you hold to will be corrected. You see I loath Wilders, as none of you are fit to be a proper Sister. You lot have freakish levels of power, but that is the thing... It is freakish and unnatural. Then there is the fact you are even worse than most filthy Wilders, you're a Pillow Friend lover. Your sort disgusts me. You have an idiot boy doting on you, and yet you play with your own sex instead of using that fool man. His sex is useless on the whole save for that. Now you will tell me where your cabal of freaks and lovers are so that they can be gathered up for their own safety. Then we'll discuss at great length your threatening a Sister. As for your little weaves? Those you will show me so that I can judge if you are truly a Darkfriend or not."

Judging by the distance between her and the Sister, Parvati had to act soon. That villainous potion was coming closer to being brought for her own turn. Just a step more, she pleaded for the Wheel to move the Red nearer.

They were fighting to force Emm to hold still long enough to drink the potion. The Red was bumped accidentally by the struggling men... The cow was as close as Parvati dared wait...

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At full tilt he charged in feeling the stabbing pains of worry for his Mountain Angel. The sounds of fighting and the occasional screaming had put fire to his heels to locate his love and their friends. Outside of these sounds there was nothing else telling him he was not the sole remaining creature alive in this desolate region of the Tower. An eerie sensation that acted as a catalyst for his already heightened anxiety. Parvati was in danger and wasn't entirely positive he would be able to rescue her. Then again he wouldn't let such details keep him from running to her aid, and woe be to anyone that stood in his way.

Nearby screams caught his attention as it was followed by guttural demands for silence. Recognizing some of the voices coming from beyond a large hedgerow beside a half wall designed to look like a mountain's stony cliff face, Harry's hammering heart stops dead in terror that he might be too late. Control of the Void is rent from his grasp in an onslaught of mental despair. Memories of that wizard Ancient running to his wife's aid has him near cry out in anguish as the woman's dead face is replaced by Par's. Her once mischievous, loving eyes were staring sightlessly in accusation of his failure to rescue her.

"Illyena!" Lews Therin howls at the image.

Another Voice snarls, "Myverill!"

Harjit though slips into the Void as if a second skin. Letting it guide him and give lift and insight to his movements, he takes a running start at the wall and hedge. In his fluid, graceful movements, he draws his weapons quicker than most men could visually comprehend. And like that long deceased warrior wizard, he vaults over the pair with a bounding leap.

Tower Guards were surrounding a batch of girls in their All Whites. Some of these men were shaking the dears, demanding silence or in the case of some, forcing them to drink from some waterskin. Others were struggling to put manacles on a few clearly dazed Novices, as if these girls were the worst sorts of criminals. Whatever was going on, he couldn't let it go on unchallenged.

Then as some of the girls nearly break free he sees his Parvati with a bloody head wound watering the garden with her precious life. Emm and Seandra were some of those fighting for all their worth to get free, the latter was whimpering Par's name in anguish. Glaring down at his love's inert body was a grass and dirt stained Red Sister he'd seen earlier with Gawyn. The woman examined the head wound in disgust, before starting to get to her feet.

"I did not wish you to kill any of them. If you did end that Child, you will face the wrath of the Hall." The Red Sister hissed. "Pray that your messenger reaches my Sisters."

From amongst the melee with the Novices a man's voice pleads, "But she had you Kivral Sedai!"

Striding to them, unseen by anyone there at first, Harjit had become the Avenging Angel of Death. Witnessing his lovely vivacious Par laying possibly dead at the hands of these people, his soul plummeted into the Abyss. Somehow in the fall from sanity he'd grasped hold of Saidin, it's raging insanity fit him like a glove.

One of the plonkers was forcefully shoving the wineskin half down Emm's throat. Harry was not going to let this happen, these men had crossed the threshold of no-return by killing his love and stealing his friends. They would suffer.

"Let the girls go. Let them go, and give me the man responsible for murdering my love. Anything else and I will kill every last one of you."

He felt a chill run freezing tendrils over his skin. Drawing deeper on the madness of Saidin to ward off the coldness of his frozen heart, he nearly cackled as blood from his scar ran river like down his face.

"Harjit, she's going to hurt you!" Emm screeched in warning only to receive a clubbing fist from the man holding her.

Reacting out of primal instinct he made a backhanded motion that sent the Aes Sedai a flying, and the girls screaming. Some of the guard as well as they forgot the girls to desperately grab hold of their own weapons, or run, or both. But he was quicker than most men on a normal day, today he was Death. With the crushing fluid speed of a tsunami, he was on the lot. With his One Power enhanced senses picking up even the faintest of details, he saw one with a bit of blood and black hair caught in a mailed gauntlet.

"Leaving now that you're facing an opponent able to fight back?" he snarled in a cold voice that had the man back peddling away. The man and his nearest mates go to raise their swords in defense, "Oh good, I didn't want to be a murderer like the company here."

The Taint made him feel a gut twisting sickness, and sound even madder.

Two tried a flanking charge on him, swords held high as if to hack him down where he stood. Pivoting with a roll into Badger in the Barley he blocked that attempt. The blood curdling scream of one of the pair chorused with the thundering crack of the man's sword arm shattering on Harry's mace. Three more tried to bum rush him during this only to meet Maiden at the Dance which had the trio staggering back and one holding his sliced open middle. The blighter that dared lay a hand on Parvati, tried to throw a knife at the whirling weaponized wizard. A poor move as Harjit had the reflexes of a great Seeker, and the enhanced speed of a near berserker.

Tossing up his mace for the spinning incoming knife, Harry caught it easily by its blade. Flicking it back at its owner in the same motion, pinning its owner's foot to the solid stone walkway. Diving in at the same time was the still armed survivor from the first pair of men. However Harry's sword took the man's eyes with a pirouetted The Rose's Blossom the wizard was using to catch his falling mace.

Having caught his mace in time to hammer it down on another guard's blade, he doesn't even pause as the thin steel shatters upon impact with the raven beaked maul. Twisting to the side in dodging a sword thrust, he performs a flawless Threshers a'Bundling, cutting the tosser's legs off at the knees. The disarmed man tries to ram his broken hilt into Harry's back, scoring a passing blow to the teen's shoulder blade. Snarling in a rictus grimace of pain, the wizard pivots around to behead the fellow for his troubles. His remaining foe not fleeing or pinned to the ground, struck with a screaming down swing, which the enraged young man blocked with crossed mace and blade. In a twisting shove he tore the soldier's blade from the fellow.

This last man was not done with yet as he leapt to grab hold of a slightly dazed looking Seandra to use as a human shield. Rolling in an upward slash, Harry removes the man's arm while shearing the tosser in twain by a Saidin made razor sharp disc.

The one to assault Parvati was screaming and clawing with bloodied fingers at the dagger impaled into both boot shod foot and white paving stone. "Please! I... I'm not a bad man!"

"What of my love? What of those girls?" Harry coldly advanced on the doomed man, "Was that all mere sport?"

"No, no- I- the Sister was down and I- I just got carried away in fright. Please sir!" the fellow was hyperventilating now.

"Harry?" Parvati weakly called out. Forgetting the rotter Harjit charged back.

"Par? Par are you okay?" he wept insensibly as the Void and Saidin abandoned him under the flood of relief and fear. "Oh please be okay."

Helping her to sit up was Emm and Seandra, both looking sick with fright. "I'm fine, I- I think." her eyes were having difficulty focusing, "Let's just be go- going... just weak..." She nearly fell back to the blood soaked grass, only to be held closer by Emm.

Seandra scrambled to face him with tears streaming down her slightly dazed face. "You're- You're a male channelor?" She nearly screamed accusingly.

"I'm a wizard yes. Me and the others are not from this mirror world. Where we're from there is no Taint. There we're all just kids that can do magic. If you don't want to follow us to safety, stay then. But we can't. Elaida is to be Amyrlin." he gathered up his love only to feel Seandra grab his face and kiss him tearfully.

"Where ever you go, please take care." she wept and kissed him again, "I- I loved you. But I- I can't watch you be hunted down by the Red! I love you too much for that." She scrambled up and fled keening in anguish, breaking his heart at her leaving. He did not love her like his Circle, but for some reason she was a vital piece of his life.

Helping him pick up Par, Emmatilde declared firmly, "I knew it was you that did all that to those filthy Whitecloaks. I'll follow you till I die. You're my hero!" She still looked sick and terrified but also daring him to try running her off.

"Come on then. We have a boat to catch." he replied, feeling as if his world was crumbling just as the White Tower was.

Running with Emm in tow and his love in his arms, Harry was worried if any of them would make it out of here alive. Fighting was breaking out everywhere. People were fleeing from, or running to these ringing sounds of violence. Great towering bursts of fire were shooting up or breaking out here and there along their rout to the South Docks. The earth was shaking and jumping now and again to make running or even standing a battle. Tar Valon was eating itself alive. It was a madhouse with the inmates left in charge with lots of fun matches and sharp things to play with.

"Younglings Onward!" yelled a man around the next corner where there was the ringing clash of blade on blade. An unfortunate turn as there was a shattered impassable mess of broken buildings and more the main way, this was the last direct way to the docks. If they were to escape, then he'd likely have to cut their way through.

Laying his love out on a wide front stoop of some business, Harry took brave little Emm's hands gently in his, "Care for her please. I'll clear the way."

Nodding with a fresh set of tears pouring down her face, she commanded sternly, "Come back for us. Don't do anything foolish."

"Me? Foolish? You must have me confused with some other woolheaded sheepherder." He innocently smiled with a quick hug.

Letting go with a crack of his neck and wincing shrug of his injured shoulder, he re-entered the Void. Once ready he took off at a jog to have a looksy. His mind was struggling to keep hold of his sanity and wits this time. Berserkers were deadly foes, but had a rather short life expectancy and he had two witches depending on him.

Stepping around the corner he saw three Aes Sedai with their Warders facing a band of Tower Guards, Gawyn's lot of self stylized Younglings, and two more Aes Sedai. In a momentary stalemate as both sides drew back from each other. Five Warders against nearly twenty five to thirty soldiers would get ugly quick.

And had if the twelve dead soldiers laying before the Warder's feet was any indication. However one of the Bonded was favoring his right leg, while another held his left hand pressed to his side.

One of the Younglings saw Harjit approaching and cheered, "On the Younglings, on the Raven and Stag for the White Boar."

"Bugger the White Boar, your in my way and sided with those who tried to kill my Parvati!" Harry roared, leaving the lot gobsmacked.

"Kill the boy." an aged blond Aes Sedai commanded.

Some of the soldiers charged straight at him. Meeting them with a twirl of blade and parrying bludgeon, Harjit had the lot staggering away. This seemed to reopen hostilities as the rest joined the fray with the steely hiss of blade on blade. As deadly skillful as the Warders, the Younglings, and himself are, this was not as the fight moments ago. It was brutal, and in a terrible way, rather beautiful. It was a dance of death that he could not allow himself to lose for the sake of his family and loves. The Warders were sworn and bonded to give their lives for the safety of their Aes Sedai. As for the Younglings? The entire lot were the sycophantic followers of a puffed up idiot who fawned on the Red's agenda.

Blades and mace clashed in a display of power and skill. If a Tower Guard came too close to Harry they died. As did three Younglings that Harry had ate meals with, one he'd even taught a few forms to. But they were the enemy. This was a Civil War and that meant brothers killing brothers. He must not think of them as anything but as enemies if he were to see his Par and their friend Emm safe aboard that boat.

Facing a boy two years his senior and four tower Guardsmen, he was working his forms as if at total ease in a Quidditch Match back at Hogwarts. Work yes, but nothing he was not prepared for. As fast as the weapons flickered and spun around the battling forces, he was finding his Seeker eyes and reflexes giving him an edge over his foes. Dancing away from Darting Swallows he twirled into Willow in the Wind, where he drove back the flanking guardsmen. Onto Doves on the Wing, a form that had him skipping a low blade stroke and only coming away with a grazing slice to his knee cap. Catching Folding the Silken Robe on his mace, he used the inertia to fall into Avalanche in Spring to cave in one fellows face while driving another into his massed mates. Gulls Among the Fish gutted a fellow about to flank one of the Warders. This did earn him a painful gash from the Youngling's Dancing the Mist.

Hurt but not done, Harry pressed on. He never gave. Yielding was not in his vocabulary, especially with his love's life in the balance. So pivoting right he dashed in with Stampede of Stags, meeting Cutting Clover, and countering with Raven's in Flight. That last was a gutsy move that had him expose his already bleeding back in order to slash open the throat of one man and bashing the thigh out from another. If the Youngling had not exerted so much in his Cutting Clover swipe, Harry may have taken a critical blow. As it were he took a short sword to his other shoulder.

This fellow gloated at his telling strike, but was fatally surprised when Harry launched into Geyser in the Grotto. This form had the warrior wizard upswing both his sword and mace. While his brand opened the Youngling from stem to stern, his maul's beak slammed into the exposed throat of the smug short swordsman. Not wasting energy or inertia, he drove down with a finishing dual down stroke of Boulder on the Cliff that sheered the last guardsman's arm off while also crushing his skull.

Breathing heavily with a grimace of pain he looks up to see the carnage of the battle. One of the Warders was lost. The one holding his side from earlier was on one knee panting with a gash across his face down to his chest. Yet another too was holding his own side where blood was staining his grey wool shirt a deep burgundy red. All of the enemy force was dead, critically wounded, or fled save the old blond Sister. That one was glaring balefully down from where she was hung by the back of her dress from a lamp post.

Seeing that the way was clear now, he turned with a groan to begin limping back to his two dependant witches. However he was stopped by one of the Aes Sedai, "Thank you. We were in a dire straight there."

Worriedly glancing towards where Parvati and the brave Ghealdaner Emmatilde awaited his return, he replies with a rueful lopsided grin, "Your welcome, but they were just as much my enemies as yours. They attacked my Parvati, coming close to killing her. For that they'll never have my sword unless it's in their guts. Now please may I go get my love and friend? Parvati is in a bad way, Aes Sedai." he bowed before making to leave.

"Bring her and we'll Heal her as best we can." the woman squeezed his shoulder.

"Thank you. I'll go get her." he took off at a wobbly trot, blood and gore were covering him. Some of it was his own that leaked from his new batch of wounds. Letting these slow him was unavoidable, but he'd not let them stop him.

Finding his friend and love, he was horrified to see how pale and still his Par was with Emm weeping inconsolably. Rushing to her side he tested her pulse. A thin reedy breath stirred his whiskers as he leaned in close to listen for a sign of life. Hoisting her up her charged off to the Sisters, tears drowning his beard.

"Emm, come on we might have help. Hurry." he urged the frightened Ghealdaner.

Fearing that the Sisters would play him false, or the Wheel would, he ran as fast as his ragged body would allow. Praying that these were honest and decent Aes Sedai in comparison to so many others he'd met of late.

Then he saw the one Sister who'd talked to him, she was trembling while taking a cup of water from her Warder's hand. They had waited for him to return!

Tearfully he stumbled over to the woman with Par cradled in his arms, begging, "Please Sister, she- Please, I can't lose her." His sliced open knee gave out on him as he stumbled on a body in the way. Falling he barely is able to keep hold of his Mountain Angel.

"Lay her on the ground child. I can't Heal her in your arms." the witch directed wearily.

Doing as bid he was startled to feel Emm hug him from behind. Meanwhile the Aes Sedai glided over to kneel by his love's side, delicately touching Parvati's head. A chill hit him as she gazed into Parvati's eyes, "She is weak. You dear child." the woman pointed to Emm, "Can you embrace and hold Saidar? Hurry now, the girl doesn't have much time."

"Mostly Sister." Emm squeaked with a curtsy, winning a tired smile from the woman.

"Good. Now I want you to link with me. I'll show you how. I'll need your help with this." she nodded and reached out to Parvati while taking Emmatilde's hand.

The warder steadies him as he nearly falls over onto Par. A second chill sends prickles over his skin as he watches on. When Parvati gasps and reaches for him he lets out a moan of anxious relief.

Finally the Aes Sedai lets go of Emm's hand and sits back shaking her head wearily, "She's out of danger but that is the best I can do. She needs more, or time to rest. But I can assure you that she will live."

Parvati's eyes flicker back open, seeking him out, "Truhart... my Truhart, I love you..."

Kissing her in desperation of giving her what ever he could to let her know how much he loved her too, he wept "Par... Parvati I love you too."

"Harry the boat." Emm urged, "She can rest there."

Nodding he spoke up wearily, "Aes Sedai we have a way out of Tar Valon. You gave me back my Parvati. Join us, I owe you that."

She weighed him calmly, as did the other two now that they were finished seeing to there Warders. Finally one with the seriously hurt Warder nodded. "It may be wise for us to make use of this boat these children have. It doesn't look as if our plan to flee overland will work."

Carrying or helping the injured along, as well as carrying the dead Warder took some time. However they ran into very little trouble the rest of the way outside of a few terrified guardsmen that ran at the sight of the Warders and Sisters. Making it to the South Docks where the boat, more a scow actually, was pulling up anchor felt to Harry like he was about to board the Hogwarts Express for home and the summer hols. Shaking that away he fought to stay erect to carry his lovely Parvati up to this water born refuge.

Seeing them, the rest of the Hogwarts band begin to help them board as the captain stood fuming at the gunwale. Looking around Harry wondered where Naleva was and his Luna. Up in the shadows of some crates stood the Red Sister, but she did not have Luna with her. Though the woman gave a small curtsy before vanishing among the freight lining the docks.

Fears that she'd played him false were banished by the glorious sound of his love's airy voice commanding, "Harry you're hurt. Get on board this instant so we can Heal you."

Spinning to face her, he saw his love standing on deck with her hands on her hips draped only in a huge rich red blanket. She was breath taking, though he was concerned why she was dressed the way she was.

Nevertheless he was relieved and gladly obeyed, cradling his Parvati close whispering into her ear, "We're safe my love. We made it."


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

($parseltongue$)

 **Chapter Twenty Seven: Moonlight on the Water**

Gathered around their captive Red Sister, the escaped Aes Sedai and all but Luna of the postulants were weighing what to do with the woman. She was unashamed to be counted as one of those whom had been a part of the violent coup that shattered the direly needed unity of the White Tower. For the Hogwarts girls, this vile cow had also been an active party to the attempt to enslave the boys, and their Luna by proxy. If not for the presence of the three full Sisters, the girls may have been tempted to stuff the Red in a sack to be tossed off the aft of the boat. As it were they still might do just that.

"Tenesirin, I won't mince words here. I detest you." Corilta Sedai venomously spoke with a cultivated Aes Sedai iciness, "Kidnaping boys in hopes of finding some to unleash as male channelors or False Dragons, my dear Sister, that is unforgivable."

"Do I care what you think Corilta? I think not." the Red sneered in a dismissive toss of her head. "If these tarts and my traitorous whore hadn't betrayed me, you'd have been caught and disposed of alongside the rest of your self righteous Ajah. All of you will soon be rightfully lost to the pages of history. Yes my dear Sister, under Elaida's reign the Red will erase the Blue, capturing and stilling the lot of you so that the Tower can take its rightful place in the world. Does that upset you to know that us of the Red will correct all of your Ajah's many little hidden failings? One day I'll have the pleasure of watching you lose that bland faced head of your's as these tarts are groveling at my feet. That tasty little red head your Blue has been pampering will be broke by me to replace my Nal. Some others may take the rest of you under their wings, or maybe some will put you to use like Elaida has that blond waif. Oh yes my dears, I know you lot dare not do a thing to me for fear of Elaida's wrath. All I can say is, I hope you all are memorizing your contrite pleas for mercy for defying the White Tower."

Hermione recoiled at the evil promise in that. Her Circlemates, especially Ginny, all blanched at its being spoken of so casually. They only thought they had felt hate for the Red Ajah before. Now there wasn't even words for it.

Unknown years as a Sister shown in how unruffled Corilta Sedai remained. In fact the older witch gave the Red cow a chilling little smile, "As you say Tenesirin, my Ajah is dead. I've no reason to play by your rules, do I?"

Unfazed, Tenesirin purred challengingly, "I've been trained by the best Corilta, pain is my friend. I welcome it as any lover. It is how I have brought to heel so many strong men and women. Can you claim the same?"

"The river runs deep." was all the Blue Sister said in casual reply.

Jerking as if slapped, Tenesirin gasped in disbelief, "Your Oaths?"

"My own oaths may hinder things, but I'm no more held to protecting your life as you are mine. I'm afraid my dear, you forgot that in your own delusions. There will be no use of the One Power here as a knife is as effective as any. Just as poison is. We can not allow you to run home to Elaida carrying tales. Sister have you forgotten from where I hale from? Let me clarify things for you. Where the Cairhienin play games with each other for position, and we all know the Domani chase each other's husbunds around bedrooms for the same reason, neither of these pleasant diversions were a part of my formative years. However us in Murondy are deft at the use of exotic spices for our rivals or foes, to their chagrin. You once may have thought yourself unassailable by us, but that will not last, my dear Red Sister. Ask yourself why we are holding this charming little discussion in the captain's state cabin, with its lovely large aft windows." casually gazing out said windows, the Blue Sister sighed in a light friendliness. "The moonlight is lovely this night. It's so beautiful to be so far away from the rest of civilization."

Tenesirin's eyes grew an uncertain tightness at that casually delivered message.

Corilta's Green friend, Kinerial sipped at her wine with a languid ease. "Lovely night for a swim, if one didn't wish to be found by anyone."

That had the Red glaring defiantly at them, till Tracey asked with an innocent voice, "What could happen to a Red Sister exactly, if this al'Thor possibly captured her?"

That had the blood leave the Red's face, but her voice and poise remained arrogant, "If he has even a modicum of intelligence, he'll let me bring him to Elaida."

"If he has a modicum of intelligence he'll sell you to the Seanchan." Alicia hissed from beside the door. "Turn you into what you force on others."

Their captive visibly gulped back some bile, "Your threats are meaningless."

"Threats? What threats are you speaking of? Sister, I was just inquiring what others may do with you in comparison to what we might do." Tracey innocently replied.

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Listening to the creaking of their boat's rope lines and wood chorus in counter point with the slap of the river lapping against the craft, Harry felt his heart growing heavy. What all had went on in the White Tower for the witches remained a mystery to him and the other wizards. None of the girls would say a word of what all truly occurred to them. Any pressing for information by him and his mates was met by a stony wall of silent solidarity by the girls.

Then there was Luna, and why she had lost all her native buoyant nature bothered him more than he could put words to. If there had been nothing wrong happening to the girls, then his gentle lover would not be crumbling in on herself. Yet when he tried to find out why, the girls all grew a sad fearful silence. Trying to speak with Luna herself about it only ended in frustration as she would flee with tears streaming down her pale cheeks.

Hate for the Tower burned in his heart for harming his loves. They tried to murder his Parvati, and now he sees that they crushed his tender hearted Luna. What else did that vile place do that the witches were refusing to tell him of?

Sitting up on deck, hidden in the shadowy darkness of the aft gunwale, he worked his frustration out by sharpening his numerous blades. His mind playing through a thousand and more scenarios as to why his Luna was withering away. Every single one required him to ride back to the White Tower and pull the entire place down on top of Elaida's head. Conversely he also had committed himself to not ever doing anything that would further break his lovers' hearts. Thus he was trapped here without any answers and aching to reach his Luna before she was lost to him forever.

A knife he had won in a bet with some of his former fellow Warder trainees caught the moonlight with a silvery flash as he oiled it's blade for rust prevention. It resembled the way the light also played across the wide river. Glimpses and flashes of dazzling beauty he knew should calm him, however the moon's light recalled to him the days when his tiny blond love would reach into his darkness to pull him back from the brink. How could he do the same for her when she would vanish as soon as he saw her.

That day on the docks, with her in that red blanket as her sole covering had him cringe. What would have required her to be so attired? It didn't make sense to him. Nor did he understand why she only spoke to him long enough to see him and Par Healed that day. Since then she was a more silent ghost than many true ones he knew personally.

Trembling in his hands from those thoughts and the image of his Par laying broken on the grass caused him to carefully put away his knife. It was ready for battle and he'd only wear down its edge by all his frittering with it.

He was not about to lose any of his loves, especially when all he had to do was get her to see he was here for her. He'd get on his knees and beg her to take him as her Warder and husband if he knew she'd let him and return to his care.

Unable to sit still any longer he unwound his legs from his hidden nook. He'd have to find her, corner her if he must, and try to get her to see that he loves her. Praying that she sees that he would give her anything, do anything, and be anything for her to come back from this bleak abyss she was in.

One day soon he was going to need to have a long talk with all his loves. How was he to be their Warder and see them protected if they kept him from knowing a single thing? Did they not know how much he loved them? Did they not realize that as their Warder, it was his right and duty to give them his life so that they lived?

Coming from below decks was a ghostly white clad witch. With how dark it was he might not have been able to tell whom it was, except he knew how all his loves moved. He'd religiously studied them for the day he'd have to ride for the Blight, knowing that he'd never see them again.

It was time he got some answers, and to make them see that if they wanted him as their Warder, they had to stop keeping secrets from him.

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Hermione's inquisitive nature and love of law and order were finding themselves demanding answers from the group's prisoner. Nothing in her experience or knowledge could find a shred of reason or logic in the cow's stated goals or assumptions. In all that was said or hinted at by the loathsome Sister, the teen witch was developing a startling hypothesis. One that made her uneasy to have ever considered, but could no longer deny.

Their captive actually believed that her many known crimes were not only necessary for personal gains, but were also the actions of a sane upright individual. This cow thought she was some saint for the kidnaping of men and boys to be publicly hunted for the glory of the Red Ajah. Torture, rape, and murder of these poor men was all an act of an honorable woman of the Light. Frighteningly her just rewards for doing these abominable crimes, was that she could participate in them, and then she could do the same to other women for simple pleasure. Few people in the teen's short life ever gave her such chills of horror.

Back home, she knew that many of the purebloodists were followers of Voldemort just for the freedom to do the most unspeakable of crimes. Some though were true believers, and were in prison for being such. Then there were those monsters from history like the Inquisition, the Nazis, the American KKK, and so many more. Men and women that were butchering people by the score in what used to be Yugoslavia or in Ruwanda. In this Age and mirror world there was the Children of the Light, these Seanchan, and others. No matter the Age or world, all of these people were monsters of the highest order in her opinion.

Yet the White Tower, though flawed by some self seeking individuals, was to be a beacon of the Light in this Age. It was the duty of the Aes Sedai to guide, protect, and Heal the world so that the Shadow could not conquer it. However the cancer of this woman's self-righteous sort has led to the possible death of not only the Tower, but possibly the whole world and Pattern. It was unsettling, and then it was also enlightening on the troubles of her proper Age and mirror world. This woman's ilk only gain a foothold when those tasked with countering them by education and reason, instead choose to let the monsters have their way.

Having this epiphany during all this, Hermione felt the queasy grip of personal responsibility to return home to set right what she had once intrusted Dumbledore to correct. Even if he was great and wise, and truly was fighting for the Light, he's only one man. When things have gotten this bad there was no room for the timid, for it takes a mighty roar to silence these sorts. As an Aes Sedai, it was her responsibility to be a Servant that protects those in need and fight the evils of humanity.

"Pardon me Sisters, but I have a question." she spoke up as the vile cow was further entrenching herself in the dogma of her compatriots. Glad of the mutual support of her hand being entwined with Ginny's after the Red's declared intent of enslaving the red head, Hermione felt nearer to invincible.

Corilta Sedai glanced her way with curiosity, but said nothing.

Thankfully the normally quiet Brown Sister, Sualdra, replied kindly, "Go ahead child. An inquisitive mind must be given guidance. We shall endeavor to see to aiding yours."

"Can this woman even dare call herself a true Red Sister when she actively cultivates and releases male channelors for sport? It does not sound to me as if she is even a member of her once proud and honored Ajah if she does this. It was the whole stated purpose of the Red to protect the world from the Taint and to give solace to even the poor men they guarded against. So Shawl or no Shawl, she is not a real Aes Sedai." Hermione put forth, and felt powerful for the first time in her life for raising her voice for more than to answer a teacher's question.

Her Circle were all giving her small smiles and nods of support. Ginny squeezed her hand while whispering in a stilted, accented English, "Brilliantly put. Just look at how the cow is squirming to find a way out of that."

Daphne looked predatory as she put in, "I'm at a loss as to how any Aes Sedai can do such, when it patently further ruins the image of the Tower. Trust is how we guide the world, as there are so few of us. Even most Novices know there is no way we could ever directly rule the world. Tarnishing that trust is why there has only been two Red Sisters raised to the Amyrlin Seat legally. It is also why they were pulled down, as will Elaida's own usurpation will be remembered as. Then I wager that if you were a true Sister, you would know this."

"You're all children, you have no opinions of worth." Tenesirin spat in defense.

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Watching his love standing so forlornly at the small foremast, Harry gathered his courage to remain calm and patient with her. Judging by how she's been acting broken and alone, she was in need of his best. Seeing how she was leaning against the thick wooden column with a slight quaking tremble just discernable in the moonlight, her world was fractured beyond her heart could naturally heal. Knowing this wrenched out his own heart. Definitive proof that something dark had occurred to his sweet tempered love, and if he'd had the power for it, people would pay dearly.

All of his Voices were in firm agreement with this. Then again it didn't take all that much to convince Lews Therin to wish to burn the world to ash. He cared little if it did not sound good for himself to be of the same mind with a psychotic Voice in his head.

On light, unshod feet, he approached her with tender caution, justifiably afraid she'd run as she had since boarding this scow in Tar Valon. It chilled his soul to catch sight of her heavenly wide blue eyes. Where once her eyes were so alive and welcoming, they now were lusterless hollows. That filthy blighted hole was at fault in some way for the guarded terror that replaced the radiant effervescence her eyes viewed the world with.

He may be doomed to become a rotting, insane monster, but he'd give her all the love she gave him.

"Stay away Harry." she wept in a raspy rawness that was unnatural for her. "You won't want me now. Not now that..." the rest was so low and lost in the sounds of the night he missed it. "You deserve better than me. I know you'll want better than me."

She was barking if she thought that. Nothing could destroy his love and need for her. "Look at me, my love." He stated while standing there at arms length, arms open for her. He would never force her to reciprocate his love, but he'd not ever let her see it was closed to her either. She wasn't the only one whom could be a rock of patience for those they love.

In the creaking rock of their boat, they stood unmoving or speaking. During this interminably unnerving time, she never once looked his way. With a shuddering sob she announced the absolutely most ludicrous thing he'd ever heard from her, "I'm filthy, Harry."

"So am I. Luna, I'm cursed to be going bloody well insane. On top of that, I kill people for a living." he answered resolutely, not willing to back down from loving her. "Worse yet, I'll not stop doing it if it keeps you and our Circle safe, or unless the Taint finally takes me. My life for yours. My soul for yours. It's a small price to pay for someone as precious as you are my love. Nothing in all creation can take away the love I bare for you, Luna."

Out on the river, the moonlight's silver radiance flickered and flashed in the slight roll of the sedate river making this trip have a lazy feel to it. Reinforcing this illusion was how the only things aside from their boat to really disturb the water, was the rare splash of a fish or two leaping up and out to snatch a water bug or whatnot. In this quiet lull, it could be easy to forget that they were all fleeing for their lives from the Red Hag.

"Do you think that gives me comfort to know I'm the reason you've condemned your soul?" she finally questioned, yet still avoided meeting his gaze. Instead she laid her forehead upon the cool metal splint of iron that bound the mast from a past misadventure.

"No, but it gives me comfort to know I've saved you from the depredations of others." he explained in a quiet voice, "To me, you are worth any and every sacrifice required of me for your sake."

An oppressive silence was all that filled the night, save for the creaks of the river boat and the lapping water. For her love, he'd go bare handed into a fight with giants, so he stood waiting. One day he'd seek justice for whatever crime was unleashed on his love. Tonight though required him to draw deep on his abilities to maintain a diligent patience. Tonight was about her and not anything else, if he was to win the battle for her soul and life.

"I feel the same about you Harry." she informed him with a choking sob, "But how can you love me after this?"

"Whatever was done back there has nothing to do with what I have inside my heart. I love and need you Luna. My life is not worth a knut if I don't have you in my arms. When I am near you, like we are here, I feel as if I can keep fighting on. With you I feel safe and strong enough to keep fighting on. Luna, I love and need you and I always will." he boldly took a step closer, praying he didn't spook her.

Turning her wide eyes on him, she whispered tinily, "Even if I gave what was yours alone to another?"

"Was it your heart, because that is yours alone. As for anything else, what's mine is yours. But if it was something personal of yours that you wanted to give me, I'll be satisfied with you alive and the love you've chosen to bestow on me."

"They never had my heart, that is solely for you and our Circle. They could never take that, but because of that they demanded I give them something else. I gave-." she stopped herself to turn away from him again, wilting even further into the abyss trying to claim her, "I'm dirty now."

"Not to me." he could stand aside no longer. He decided he must fight even harder for her as he enfolded her into a hug from behind, "Never to me, Luna."

At first she was stiff and unresponsive, then it was as if someone cut the strings holding her up as she crumbled into a mute wail of sorrow supported solely by his arms. Holding her was all he could do as he cared for her. Lending her his strength and will to live on this deceptively calm night. What ever she required, he'd give it to her no matter how long it took.

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Hermione was in a perplexing place as she listened to the calm Corilta Sedai speaking, "Dear Tenesirin, as you do not see what we here have to say, I must ask you what use are you to us? We clearly can not afford to simply let you dash off to the Tower, and thus I am finding it tedious to keep you with us."

In the reality of the moment, Hermione had to decide what would be the best way to punish this evil cow they held prisoner. Knowing that Corilta was right about not being able to afford to let the Red go home telling tales, or a chance to return to her wicked ways, did not mean she could stomach simply murdering the Red like the Sisters were advocating. Doing that would be almost to light a judgement for Tenesirin, and something that would haunt Hermione the rest of her days.

Analyzing the dirty hag's crimes gave plenty of evidence to Hermione of the fact that the death penalty was a deserved punishment. Just imagining the sight of her Harry being in the woman's clutches filled her with visions of the unthinkable. Naleva's mention of something called the Stable had the teen see her lovely wizard held in some sort of barn like prison. A giant kennel full of men and boys to be played with till it became boring, then it would be time to take one or more out to hunt them down like some poor fox. Adding to this was the promise of turning young innocent girls into pet whores to be bought and sold by the likes of Elaida Sedai, for both fun and as bribes to get away with other crimes. Just as how Ginny had been used by Tom Riddle back at Hogwarts. These crimes alone were condemning, but then Hermione felt certain this Red was guilty of so much more.

Back on her home world she knew that to the Ministry, Tenesirin's biggest crime would be considered that she was a lesbian witch, and thus denying a lordly pureblood wizard the right to fill her with child. Second to this was that she would dare to attack a wizard at all, though they may have been fine with allowing a muggleborn wizard to be treated this way by a pureblood witch. All of which were facts that galled the muggleborn witch as the Red Sister's cabal were more a cartel of human traffickers, and that was the true crime. Sexual identity did not make the Red a criminal, nor the gender of her compared to her chosen victims. Murder and rape should be considered heinous, no matter the rest of it. Evil was and will always be evil.

It boiled down to power, and whom was allowed to hold and weald it to these vile sorts. Power over others is what gives them a thrill. So the question was how to destroy the cow and not murder her like she does to others. However to bring any judgement suitable to this situation, Hermione has one major leap of ideals she is unsure she can make. Its niggling fear of unleashing her own inner darkness has her heart and soul screaming, for this would be Star Chamber justice. Could she live with herself if she allowed herself to be a part of this all too slippery slope?

Did she have a choice though? To not do anything endangered her family and the future of so many innocents.

Having Ginny, her cinnamon locked Circlemate, trembling as she held hands with her for mutual strength had her thinking harder than she ever had before. Not only had this Red slag made it clear what she intended for Gin by enslavement, the continual smug leers confirmed what the cow said. To say it was disturbing would be a grand understatement. Thankfully Luna was out, away from hearing any of this. Their precious blond waif of a Circlemate was already in a downward spiral as it were, hearing this cow may have been a coup de gras on the former Ravenclaw's chances of recovery. Tenesirin Sedai may have got her last jollies off the utter failure of Luna's sanity.

Seeing Luna becoming more and more a living ghost because of this woman's vile thieving ilk burned Hermione's past senses of trusting authority figures. Some one like Dumbledore may immediately think that simply letting go of the monster, but then they may never let themselves think of the future victims this Sister may have. How many more men will this harridan hurt? How many more innocent girls could she corrupt or crush? All for the shrew's ideas of might makes right.

A new idea struck Hermione with this train of thought. A plan, or at least its basics that very well could see justice done while not forcing them to stain their hands. Though she knew it was a dreadful punishment in its own right.

Sharing a look with a slightly frightened Ginny, she pulls her Circlemate in for a small hug before speaking up once more. This was for their family's safety and to protect their souls from plunging into darkness themselves.

"Pardon my interruption once more Sisters, but what if there is another way than executing her?" she postulated with deference for the full Sisters.

Corilta's eyebrow lifted in question as she gave leave to speak more with a slight grin. It gave the teen witch the idle tangent thought that some Aes Sedai must be able to read minds.

"Thank you Corilta Sedai." she recollected her thoughts from their unnerving side track, "I have to ask, as it seems apropos for this filth, why don't we Still her? Knowing that she derives some sick pleasure in Gentling men and boys, would it not suit to make her face the same fate? We've all seen what it did to Logain, and he deserved it for what he did in Ghealdan. What of those poor souls that she and her cabal have kidnaped in hopes of finding new foxes for their schemes and entertainment? Surely not all that have been taken were channelors, were they simply murdered when that was found to be the case?"

Her small speech froze the tiny room with the palatable fear any witch would feel at the concept she too could lose what makes her a witch.

Fearing that they may baulk at this and instead go with simply taking the cow's life, Hermione adds, "Her sort only listen to those with power. To them she will be a nobody."

The Blue Sister's eyes twinkled with comprehension, smiling with reluctant agreement as Tenesirin's face lost all color and her smug assurance. "An excellent suggestion, child. Fitting and none of us have to stoop to assassination to protect ourselves."

Trembling violently, Tenesirin squeaked while trying to escape their hold on her, "Do it, and I'll see the lot of you suffer far worse. There is still time to let me go and save yourselves for a time. If you do- If you dare try and- Corilta, think what you are doing to a fellow Sister!"

Angelina roughly grabbed hold of the Red's arm, hissing coldly, "What, don't like your own games? Does it not give you the thrill you adore to do the same to others? Well look on the bright side Sister, you'll get to live long enough to regret what all you've done to so many innocents."

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Letting the warmth of her love's arms infuse her with life while they stood on the slowly rocking deck, Luna's quaking heart left her weak. In Harry's tender firm embrace, the trembling in her limbs was slowing, though she wished she could forgive herself as readily as her treasured wizard claims he has. Fears that this was a delusion of her fractured mental state was keeping her from fully accepting this as the complete truth. If not for his very real touch, she might never accept that he still could love her.

A distant night bird's call rang out as the water gave the scow a rolling uplift that left her tummy doing flippy flops. Harry's cradling arms saved her from collapse and losing her barely held composure. He was a rock she could safely cling to, and she ached to believe he'd let her do just that.

Silently the pair watch this quiet river take them away from the horrors of Tar Valon, but secreted away in her heart was the glimpsed knowledge that her Harry will face a greater evil over another river. She only caught the vaguest of shadows of this insight, but it was there. A Raven screaming in righteous defiance of the Shadow. A fanciful image, and yet it was coming some day and she could do nothing to stop it. If left up to her they and their Circle would be tucked away safe and free from any more heart ache. In such a place she could hopefully have their children. A beautiful baby, or better yet babies, to bring about something truly worthwhile from this insane journey.

True they had never been together in that way to even get her in the family way, but she could hope. Being held so comfortingly in his caring arms gave her the wish that he may still want her that way, and that she may feel safe enough to ever let such occur. She prayed that one day she might have that chance and that it would erase the horrors of Elaida's rule over her life.

Nuzzling his muscular right arm with her cheek, she sighed in pleasure of his protective presence. With him holding her, she was safe from the world. No one would ever be allowed to touch her as long as he was there. Though they were not bonded yet, he was her Warder. Too bad she felt that she had betrayed him and his love.

"Luna, do you know how precious you are to me? When you let me hold you, I'm not a freak or monster." he wept so softly she may have missed it if not for how close they were right then. "One day I want to be even half the man you deserve."

Was he barking? He was more than any girl could dream of in a man. Her and her Circle were the lucky ones. It had to be those Dursleys to have twisted his awareness that he was a very good man.

"You are the man I want, Harry. You're the only man I'll ever want or need as a husband..." she fought not to cry again at how she feared he'd reject her, "If you still- Harry, I love and need you so much it hurts."

He kissed the top of her head, whispering with a gentle sob, "Then never again leave me like you have been doing. Please stay with me Luna. I know it's unlikely, but I dream of one day being the husband you and our Circle need, and the father of all your children."

Delicious images of herself and her beloved Circlemate's all swollen with his love had her close to giggling. They would truly be a family then. Every one of her Circle were gorgeous witches, and would only be more so with such a wonderful gift. Together they would all be amazing brilliant mothers and founders of so many positive changes to the world at each others sides. Having her Harry there as her loving husband and protective Warder would give her the courage to defy those like Elaida.

"I really do love you Harry. I don't ever want to leave, but I'm dreadfully afraid." she confessed, letting herself tether her soul to his rock like strength as her sanity's anchor.

His arms squeezed her tighter, "Your love is all I could ever wish to have. Let me protect you. I promise I'll keep you safe."

Leaning her head to the side just enough to partly meet his eyes, she begged, "Don't leave me then. Not tonight at least."

"Your wish is my command." he chuckled a bit tearfully as they shared a soft kiss.

Seeing him illuminated in the silvery moonlight had her falling in love with him all the more harder. Coming here to this mirror world and having plenty of good food alongside his rigorous Warder training had built him up into a lithe lordly lion of a man. She was small and delicate in his arms to her great delight. Maybe one day she truly could feel right enough to let him take her to bed. Maybe letting herself live was an option she still had as well.

Maybe surviving what had taken place back in the White Tower was worth it.

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Standing in defiance of Tenesirin Sedai, Hermione felt at odds with her raising in both the magical and muggle worlds back home. Her parents taught her that laws and justice went hand in hand so that everyone receives an equal protection under the eyes of the court. Among the magicals back home at Hogwarts she was forced to modify that to accept that some leaders like Minister Fudge and a few others were less than trustworthy, but in counter to them were people like Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore. However after learning the full unvarnished truth of Harry's home life as well as all the atrocities that have been allowed to occur in the halls of Hogwarts, she had began to lose the awe she once held for all leaders. Facing the horrors of Elaida and Tenesirin's Red Ajah take over of Tar Valon finished the last vestiges of her humble obedience to authority alone.

Laws and justice were only protections of equality and what was truly right if those laws were right and true in the first place. Also if those laws that were good had no one seeing to their enforcement then they were mere words on a fragile bit of parchment. Her father kept telling her when she was little that the reason he kept having to be redeployed was for the defense of truth and justice. Later he explained to her that he served in Her Majesties Air Forces so that he could ensure that her and her mum could live in a free country. Regularly he made it a point that it takes people willing to stand up for what was right against the monsters of the world in order for just laws to exist.

As a child she assumed all laws were just and true. She didn't understand at the time that her father was saying, that he was seeing that honest and good laws were upheld in opposition to those crimes that might be perpetrated by villains like Tenesirin. That without him and others defending truth and justice, those like this Red Sister would gladly make laws to sanction their attrocities. Here and now, on this slow moving river boat, her Papi wasn't around. No one she once hid behind as a child were here. It was her time as an adult to be the torch bearer of truth and justice. She could no longer be the tiny child in the shadows behind her parents or professors. Hermione was an adult witch for most intents and purposes, and she was going to be an Aes Sedai worthy of the name.

This was her time to stand or to continue on being the voiceless child none heard. Out of the corner of her eye she saw that her friends and Circlemates were coming to the same conclusions. If they did not stand, who would? They did not know these full Sisters or what these Third Age women believed was right and true. Standing aside may mean they let more travesties take place.

Feeling Ginny grip her hand tighter in mutual dedication, Hermione was hit with an unexpected personal epiphany. Out somewhere in the infinite mighty multi-verse was a Hermione whom was still childishly heartsick for Ronald Weasley, and would never dare contemplate severing a witch's innate ability to be a witch for the fear of hurting another human. Out there, that Hermione may live a preposterously wasted life as a mere mindless submissive baby oven to a wizard that cared nothing for her feelings or ideas. Burying herself in the consolation that if she was good enough people may love her. Never allowing herself the right to truly have her own voice or the love of those that really loved and needed her as who she truthfully is. Out there this other Hermione was letting herself be used as a doormat for other people's games and excuses, instead of being a woman of worth and value. Aside from her hopes to help House Elves, she herself has done only what others has said is the right and true path. That other Hermione, as deluded and misguided as she was once herself, would never let the idea that she was meant for, and raised to be, something greater enter her head. Poor soul that silly chit was, that Hermione could never face life as an Aes Sedai or participate in this Star Chamber tribunal.

Nor would that naive version of herself have the right to hold safe her soul mates of Harry and the Circle. They deserved more than just a human encyclopedia, they needed a witch with a voice and the backbone to use it.

"Why must we still her child?" Corilta questioned in the silence following Hermione's earlier suggestion.

"Her kind would ignore her, as I said. In their minds she would no longer be human, and thus deeming all she had to say as lies, or the rumblings of an insect. Better yet," this new Hermione paused before going on once all there were listening solely to her, "as Angelina put forth, she would have to learn to live as those she so easily forsakes. No longer would she be a goddess made flesh, that has the power to destroy any she deigned to name as expendable."

Her dearly loved Ginny, gave her a nod of agreement. Their friend Tracey nodded too but looked to be thinking that Stilling would not be enough. Alicia's lips pursed before she weighed the Red with a hard stare, then grew a grim set to her jaw while nodding agreement.

Tenesirin tried to glare Hermione down but the former Gryffindor stood her ground. In her mind she knew that if she were still just like that other _her_ , she may have been cowed. As much as she would like to deny it, that girl was a sad simple minded witch unfit to rule where she must. Even if that had been herself when they first came to this mirror Earth, she had no doubt that personal trepidation and fear would have left her cringing and cowering here. She may have fought when told to and had no other available options, or to think she could use only cleverness with the weakest of tools in order to not disappoint passivists like Professor Dumbledore. Never mind the cost of being so foolish, she would trust that it was the only right way to address the needs of combating the Dark.

"They're only men, Child." spat the frightened Red Sister.

Only men? How could someone ever think of people as being _only_ anything and not as human beings? It was a ludicrous argument to make.

However it spurred the idle thoughts of what she felt for her loving betrothed and future Warder. Saying her Harry was only a man like that raised her blood pressure. He was a kind, strong, loving, and honest wizard, even if he was a bit daft and hard headed on occasion. This woman was placing Hermione's true love in the rubbish heap in order to exonerate her crimes against humanity. That in and of itself made it hard for Hermione to try and think critically this night. A change she also felt distanced herself from that unknown more timid _her_ out there.

Again, she was brought up short by how naive she had been when considering her love life and expectations there of. Standing here in defense of their Harry was her and her Circle. As a whole they were not going to allow the world to steal their wizard or their heartbroken member, Luna. Out in the multi-verse, that other version of herself most likely is pining for the love of Ron, whom probably will abandon her and Harry when times inevitably grows difficult. He'd pack it in and run for home, leaving her as easily as a child's lost ball on the beach. Sure it was missed for a time but was ultimately replaceable. Well she was not replaceable, or a doll to play with only when fun or convenient. Having her life filled with the love of her wizard Harry and her Circle had opened her eyes and heart to what true companionship meant and feels like.

Seeming to sense this in her, Ginny gave her a tiny nudge of playful support. Confirming that though she still saw Ron as a friend, they were not meant to be lovers as he seemed to think at the Yule Ball. In a way he was clearly exemplifying that the pureblood wizard could get, or think he could get what he wished no matter the truth or feelings of others. It also filled her with pity for that silly naive other _her_ out there who did not see or realize this. That Hermione was still trapped in Ron's play chest aching to be freed, but not herself whom would never allow any one to have such control over her again.

Glaring defiantly at the vile Tenesirin, she cooly condemned the cow that dared seek to harm her family. "This woman has forgotten the real meaning of the term Aes Sedai in the Old Tongue. It does not stand for Immortal Master or Mistress of the World, as she appears to think. No, the meaning is far more profound and humble a title to bear. Aes Sedai means Servant of All. No where in that term is there room for a person bearing that title to be enslaving or molesting others. She has broken the very tenants of our kind and her rank in society. She has tarnished the reputation of both the White Tower and any one else of the rank of Aes Sedai."

Cold fury at the cow's attempted assault on her family, and the determination to see suitable punishment for that gave her the will to stare down the Red Sister. Gone was the timid little walking library that strode the halls of Hogwarts. Gone was even the dedicated Brown acolyte that humbly knelt in the Tower in obedient hope that studies alone would make her worthy of the rank of full Sister. Here in this packed cabin was a witch to be reckoned with, whom was opening her mind and soul to the reality that if she didn't stand for what was right, she'd not ever deserve the title of Aes Sedai herself. Nor would she be worthy of calling herself her Papi's daughter.

"Aes Sedai have always led, and so we must bring to heel the world for its own good. No matter the cost in the mean time." the Red responded harshly to Hermione's assertions. "Without us sacrificing a few men now and again people will forget how dangerous the lumbering brutes are."

Seeing red Hermione silently swore she'd break this filthy slag for coming after her family and hurting so many innocents. A direct break with the crippling passivity of Dumbledore, who acted as if he'd never do anything to directly challenge the rotters of life. Unlike what Ron or others thought, this Hermione was not destined to become Hermione Weasley, haggard housewitch. No this version of herself was becoming Hermione Potter Aes Sedai nee Granger, and must think beyond what the timid may wish.

She'd swore not to ever just follow the safe course in life again when she awoke to how horrible Ron was to her. Doing so had gave her Harry and her Circle, it was also taking away her personal excuses to not do her utmost to be a witch worth trusting.

Giving her Circlemates here a look of fond respect and love, she added in a calmer voice than she felt inside, "Tenesirin Sedai advocates the enslavement of Novices for playthings, not raising them to be the guides the world needs for a better future. We as Accepted, Sisters, and even Novices in Emm's case have a duty to protect the Tower and the Light from this woman's sort. This woman has lost the right to be a user of Saidar. She may not be a servant of the Shadow, but she has aided its cause by all her sins and crimes."

Hermione was not going to ever cower or hide away in what ever books others shoved into her hands. A Brown Sister was supposed to be cool, analytical, and the keeper of wisdom for the world. She was dedicated to being such a witch. There was no room for that other _her_ she had been for so long in her life if she wished to be worthy of her Harry and Circle.

"The Shadow must be rebuffed any where it has gained root in the World. This is imperative for the safety of the Pattern and the whole of the Age Lace. This is our moment to make a stand, and this Red can not be allowed to go on doing as she has." Hermione met the eyes of every woman in the cabin, forcing them to see that they had to act tonight. Tenesirin must be Stilled, it was their only logical course of action.

Corilta and the other two Sisters smiled and nodded in agreement. The teen aged witches were not smiling as they were battling their inner demons in order to be the women they must now be. They were all no longer children as they could not afford to be so any more. As for the Red, the woman was ruing the day she crossed the Circle and their friends.

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Watching the flickering play of the moonlight on the water with his Luna in his arms, Harjit fought not to cry at what all has taken place on this world. Her warmth and unidentifiable scent that always reminded him of sunlight had him adrift in a sea of emotions he was sorely unprepared to face this night. Hope and relief were far too unfamiliar experiences for Harry even now after years away from his troubled home world. Mixed into this was his momentarily muted rage at the crimes the Tower had harmed his loves with. Anger and suffering were very familiar companions in life, but to know that it was from the suffering of those he loved was unacceptable. It may have angered him if the Tower hurt him, but it would not have been alien to him. He could not tolerate these attacks on his friends and loves. Then to have them hide it from him stung as well. He had sworn his life to protect them and they had seemed to reject that. Did they not realize how precious they were to him.

Nuzzling into his embrace, Luna kissed his forearm. An act that shunted his outrage to the side once more. Feeling her lightly petting his arms as if he were a treasure of great worth brought a tear to his eyes, not many ever expressed that for him. Reveling in her touch he sighed with a peace that he didn't have the words to describe. In a way her and the rest of the Circle drew out the best in him.

Sublimely content right then to just hold his Luna close like this, he was surprised when she guided one of his hands to lay over her heart. The bourgeoning swell of her slight breasts gave him a thrill he did not wish to get carried away by. All five of his loves gave his nights dreams of things far more stimulating than his nightmares could readily squash. Years of living in terror of Voldemort's popping into his slumbers had made sleep a chore. Yet his loves presence have been slowly banishing his foe's invasions, helping to lend him the strength to truly rest for a change. So now actually touching his lovely Luna this way as he had Hermione that night by this very river so long ago was even more invigorating. However he did not wish to let himself think of anything other than comforting his love as she needed his best care, not his worst boyishness.

"It feels your love Harry. My heart has stopped hurting for now." she informed him in a sighing giggle that sounded more like the Luna he knew before the White Tower entered their lives. It was one of the sweetest sounds he'd ever imagined to ever exist.

Light how he loved this tiny witch. She made him feel invincible.

"I wish you never doubted me, my love." he whispered into her hair, inhaling her bright scent deeply.

"It never did, but it fears you'd never forgive what was sacrificed for your sake." his Moonlight leaned into him, allowing herself to be held up solely by his strength, which brought a smile of surprise that she still truly trusted him for such.

Her head nuzzled into his arms as if he were a giant pillow. Her warm softness was setting his sanity ablaze, some bits more than the rest to his embarrassment. A sharp spike of fear she'd be angry at him for it gibbered in his mind louder than even Lews Therin could.

"Thank you Harry." she giggled, clearly noticing his discomfort. "One day I'll be ready for that. I promise."

"I'm," he squeaked out, mortified that he was not a better man. "I'm in no hurry. Honest. I didn't mean-."

She petted his hand on her chest still, "I know my love. It makes me feel better though that you still want me... I love you Harry. Every breath I take is for you."

They fell into a comfortable silence then. Both of them taking comfort from each other while standing there like this, just simply watching the water and light at play. Content in each other's love and joy at being together again.

Soft footsteps approached them, startling him as Tracey declared, "Luna, you're needed. The decision has been made and even Emm is required for it. Harry, please go inform the other Warders to keep us from being disturbed. No one dares touch my Blaise."

"I'm ready. Harry, thank you for saving me. For you I can face anything." Luna turned in his arms to brush his lips with a light kiss. "I'm lost without you." She then straightened her dress and set her shoulders, "Let us be done with it then Tracey. The woman deserves this."

This sounded ominous.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Welcoming Luna back amongst them was her four Circlemates. Revulsion and love tortured her in equal measures by the two emotions warring in her at the hugs of her treasured Circle. Unlike Harry, whom she was born to love and be one with as husband and wife, these witches she adored beyond measure, were nonetheless women. It had been a woman that had used her, with other women not hiding their intent to use her as well. That all had left a scar on her very existence. Logic stated she discount that as her Circle would never dream of doing such to her, yet the fear was all to real even in this light. Never mind even how madly she craved to be surrounded by their love and protection, she was terrified to the core.

Elaida had stolen so much from her.

"So we are to sever Tenesirin Sedai's ability to embrace Saidar completely and forever." she noted sadly.

It didn't take her gift to see this coming. Cold blooded murder was alien to them all save the Red Sister herself ironically enough. Plus they required thirteen channeling women to see this decision done in full. Only one thing she knew of demanded a full circle to complete, and thus deductive reasoning put it together for her.

Hermione was hugging her still, with one of the muggleborn's sisterly bone crushing hugs that Luna normally thoroughly enjoyed. It felt nice and safe compared to what Luna feared it would be like. Far better even than the light hesitant embraces of their friends Alicia and Angelina. Tracey seemed to understand the moment and merely gave a warm hopeful smile. When Ginny squeezed her tight it was full of a sense of welcome but also telling her the Circle was there for her and would never abandon her. However the touches all carried the burden of Elaida's ghostly haunting her.

Then again to know that her Circle was not rejecting her still want to grind it into the Red Hag's face. No matter how hard the mad woman had tried, she couldn't fully steal away Luna's treasured Circle. There was hope that they still could make a life together with their loving Harry. She couldn't help letting free a tear or two from the knowledge.

"We can't let Tenesirin go back. It can not be allowed to let her freely return to what she has all done. Not only for our sakes, but for those she will target we do not know." Hermione apologized in a level tone that had an iron to it the girl didn't have when they first met the night of the Yule Ball.

"I know, and we're not murderers either." she assured her friend.

Parvati cautiously took her hand, "You're to stand between me and Gin. We want you to feel that we'll protect you no matter what it costs us." Her best friend smiled impishly, though tarnished a slight bit by a deep sorrow of regret, "Welcome back by the by. I seem to see that starry, "I've Just Been With Harry Gleam", we all get."

"He was rather persistent." Luna's stomach tried to revolt, but she'd not let her tummy vanquish her love for these four other witches. Elaida was not going to rob her of them, she'd not allow it.

Elaida would not win. Luna's heart belonged to her Harry and the Circle, not trapped by her onetime dark Mistress.

"Ladies," Corilta Sedai caught their attention with a resigned determination, "do as I say only. I am lead on this as I've done this before with Logain and other men."

Ginny's strong hand took her free hand while whispering, "Par and me will keep you safe. Let us be your strength. I know what it feels like."

Turning her head stiffly towards her oldest friend's gentle face, Luna asked softly, "Will I ever be normal again?"

"Not ever like you were before. That's gone I'm afraid. You'll need to rebuild now, and see that you have a life worth living still. You are worthy of all the love a person deserves and can have in life. You're still human and just as precious as you were before what they did to try to destroy you. You're like an oyster with a bit of sand, you can create something far more beautiful than words can give justice too. But it won't be overnight and it will hurt even still." Gin softly informed her with a haunted smile that held some of the same darkness Luna was drowning under.

They were both survivors, though she had to fight to believe it in herself.

They had all tried to always be there for her, only Elaida had seemingly held all the cards as she quietly removed Luna from the Accepted Quarters, imprisoning her in amongst the Red Ajah. During that time, she had felt so isolated and dirty, exactly what Elaida wanted her to be. Ceaselessly instructing her with cruel efficiency.

Corilta Sedai was watching them with a tender frown that darkened at a glance at the captive Red. Seeing that Luna strove to comport herself to a semblance of the Aes Sedai she one day would be to protect the innocents out there.

Par squeezed her hand as they all readied to follow the Blue's lead.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Standing watch with Neville and Blaise at the forward entrance to the below decks as most of the crew was above deck on account of the night's heat, Harry was this side of losing his Warder cool with how wondrous it felt to hold his tiny blond angel again. All five of his loves deserved better than this weird arrangement, but he'd never walk away from any of them. Not now that he was committed to being their Warder in full.

If only he could find a way to help them realize he was going Taint Mad.

"Tracey told me that these Aes Sedai are a bit more volatile than Kaliandra was prone to be. I hope they don't do something we'll regret later." Blaise commented tersely, with his eyes never leaving his watching the crew on the dog watch. "Between them and what these Seanchan are said to be doing, I'm a bit jumpy."

"You jumpy? Never." Neville ribbed their Slytherin mate with a wink, "You're the very soul of serenity."

"Laugh it up mate, but things are moving out there. I wouldn't be too surprised to find the armies of the Shadow waiting to say hello when we make port again. That or this ruddy al'Thor has gotten it into his head to recruit men to become Aes Sedai. Can't you two Lions feel it? The world is cracking, and we're all going to suffer for it." Blaise grumbled with an incredulous twist of his lips. "This whole ruddy world is nutty."

They had nothing to say against that.

It got Harry to thinking though. Something about the lot needing even Emmatilde to attend what ever they were about down there. What would require them to have to have fourteen witches was beyond him. Especially as Emm was still in her All Whites and supposedly having difficulty with holding Saidar consistently. It bothered him. None of it made sense, as Luna was still healing mentally from whatever went on in the Tower. Yet he did have to discount Tenesirin Sedai as she was the one they were deciding on... That left the chilling number of thirteen witches, a number any sane male channelor feared.

Master Therell's words came floating back to him here, _"Aes Sedai are their own worst enemies in any situation."_

His blood ran with ice at the epiphany, "Blaise, thank you for being a paranoid berk. Neville, you and Blaise roust out the twins. I've got to go keep our lovelier halves from burning too many bridges too soon. Light, what has happened to our girls in that bloody Tower."

Another chill hit him here. One that strangely was shared by his two mates. He shrugged that ill feeling off as he roundly cursed the female mind. Why were witches given over to doing the worst sorts of silliness at the absolute worst times? He really wished to know that, along with how to stop them from doing it again the next go round.

Sliding down the steep crewman's ladder to avoid the Warder guarded aft entry, he prayed he'd not be too late. That Red was rotten to the core, but she was still Aes Sedai. The White Tower would not care what the cow has done when compared with these silly geese Stilling her outside of the Hall's authorization.

Dashing down the hallway and through the cargo of the Saldean merchant that had hired the river boat in Maerone, he was near frozen solid by the fell chill in the air that matched the dread in his souring stomach. He was surprised his breath wasn't coming out in puffs of steam by how freezing his skin and blood felt. Shivering at the thought of what the Tower would do to his loves, it worsened his certainty that this was going to be a disaster. Desperately he tried to form a logical argument for sparing the Red's miserable life. None came to him outside of what the Tower would undoubtedly do in retaliation, and the witches were in a strange enough mind set that they may not care to heed such warnings.

Ducking under the last few free swinging bundles of spare sail cloth, he had a shuddering breath as the chill sharpened. With its amplification came the horrific flood of visions of his loves and friends tied down to stone blocks amongst a mob of blood thirsty Red Sisters out for revenge. At their lead was the smug Elaida with a cruel twist to her lips as she gloats over his Luna's immobilized form. A knife was in the Red Hag's hand as she pronounced a death sentence for the lot. All from his loves doing the unimaginable and irreparable to this Tenesirin Sedai on this quiet night.

"Bugger it all! Why are women so hard headed?" he groused while throwing his weight against the locked cabin door. This unusual circumstance he took as valid proof they were up to what he feared.

Slamming himself against the door once more, he knocked the thing off its hinges. Half falling into the captain's cabin full to the rafters with women, Harry's heart stopped. Inside were the whole lot of looby witches arranged in a rough circle around the Red Sister, whom was in a sobbing heap. A renewed bust of the icy chill he'd been feeling brought him to his own knees as Corilta Sedai was staring down onto their captive with reproach and regret. Confirmation that he had been correct, but was too late to put a stop to it, but that is not what horrified him the most.

Arranged directly behind the Blue and across the small cabin from himself, were his five loves holding hands while standing in judgement of the Red Sister. In everyone of their eyes was nothing but cold condemnation. An alien emotion in the girls he knew before coming to that vile heap of lies in Tar Valon. It broke his heart to see the grimness there in them all. Even the cool level headed Hermione and the gentle doe like Luna wore that mask of frigid hate for this blighted Red Sister kneeling before them. His heart screamed in anguish that he had failed to keep them safe from the darkness he himself had fell into so long ago.

What had the Tower done to his beautiful angels? He never wished to see such in their once innocent eyes. It was his duty and mantle to bear their burdens as their Warder and wizard. They were too perfect for such chilling decisions and the execution of them. He was already stained beyond salvation, and as such it was just one more burden he alone would suffer.

If he could, he'd return to the White Tower to tear it down on top of Elaida and the rest's heads. This was an abomination to his senses.

"What have you done?" he demanded in a choking whisper. The freezing air and the vision of his loves so full of hate hurt way down deep inside of him.

Alicia, whom he'd jostled upon entering, tenderly touched his shoulder. "We've done what only us witches could do to protect what is sacred to us, and for the sake of the Pattern as a whole. What has been done is a good thing, Harry."

Though the chill in the air had vanished suddenly, her words terrified him, "Do you lot not realize what the Tower will do? They will hound you lot of women for this. How can we ever hope to protect you from them now? Tell me! Tell me how?"

His friend recoiled as if slapped, but Tracey cut in, "We must be women worthy of the name Aes Sedai, and for you lot of silly buggers we love. No one touches my Blaise. No bloody minded blighter will ever take him from me if I can help it."

His mind was whirling in a tail spin. He must protect them. It was his duty, his only worth now that he was so dipped and painted with the Taint he was well beyond redemption. Anger and darkening insanity clawed at his insides as he met their unified gazes. Even Emmatilde stood defiant to his desire to save them.

Boiling with that set of emotions seeking to rule him, he questioned the lot of silly witches, "Then tell me how you lot have forgot our oaths to you? Do you think so little of them? We have more or less sworn ourselves to becoming your Warders, and it is our right and duty to die for you. Do you lot not understand this? Do you not realize what we've given you? Is it of such little concern to you that our duty to you is out of love and hope? There is only the hope that we bring you back home to teach what you've learned here. If it means our lives are sold to that filthy Red's sort for their sport and games, we'd gladly pay it for you lot. Blaise, Fred, George, Neville, and myself mean nothing compared to you here. We know these Aes Sedai have worked to twist and maim you. A fact we can not change though it galls us. Us five were dead men the moment we took the first steps of this journey. And do you know what?" he stared into every single one of their eyes before continuing on, "It's a price we all gladly have paid for you. Not for those bloody Light forsaken sheepherders back home, but for you lot. You lot have shut us out. You lot have refused to tell us of what you faced in that Light cursed heap of lies, and we held our tongues. Bit the things so hard and so often it's a ruddy miracle we can even still speak. Now something has taken place with Elaida and Luna, and this is your answer to that? Blood and ashes, what in all that sits under the Merlin cursed Light could equal that? If it was so horrific it is my right and duty to go slide my blade through the crone's ribs and any who dares to stand in my way. No one hurts you lot without going through us five. We love you all too much for that. Your lives are worth it, whereas our own lives are already forfeit, but we can only give them up once. The Tower will take that and still keep coming."

He was trembling as he finished, it took everything he had not to just shake some sense into the lot of them. Did they not understand what it meant for him and his mates to swear to become their Warders? Did the lot not understand what a Warder truly was?

Luna parted from the others to glide to him, reaching down to aid him to his feet. Her wide blue eyes trapped and held his, to silently beseech him to understand what was in her heart. For a quiet moment he was held tight by her gentle gaze that implored him to grasp some hidden mysterious message that her and the rest seemed to expect him to know and comprehend. However he was also caught by how the swaying lantern light made her appear the delicate ghost she had become. Agony and anger were banishing all other emotions he felt as he wanted to scream his demand to the heavens for answers as to what the Tower has done to his friends and loves. However Luna carefully took hold of both of his hands, chaining him to this spot.

"Harry, to us, you five mean life and all we've sacrificed was worth it. That thing here tried to take what we hold most dear. You five gave your solemn oaths to safe guard and protect us, and yet you do not realize that us here have gave similar vows concerning you all. My Truhart, all that I have to hope for is you. A hope that one day you and I will have the quiet life we both ache for. A life we can share with our Circle, our children, and our friends. That some day we can put all the pain and suffering behind us." Her eyes silently commanded his never leave hers as she spoke this. Which he obeyed without a word, though he wished to speak when she started to cry a bit. "To us, going home without you five would not be worth calling going home at all. We don't want just warders to charge in sacrificing their lives to make the world kneel before us. Harry, we want the loves of our lives to be with us for however long our lives may turn out to be. We endured the White Tower in order to be the witches worthy of you five."

That silenced him, for he'd never fully appreciated that love was a two way street at minimum. All his life up to now had taught him that love meant he had to sacrifice all he had for others. Love's true meaning or power was an ephemeral mystery one such as he was never worthy of being taught. To him, reinforced by his life's many misadventures, love was for him to give, give some more, give again till he lay sprawled out an empty forgotten husk. He was to keep on giving until he was bled white from it, just in the hope it was enough to keep in the good graces of his loves and friends. Luna's gentle reprimand illuminated a completely different vision of what love is.

Where back home he only received love and respect after doing something grand and full of sacrifice for some one, his loves were saying they were willing to face the flames of the Tower's retribution for his sake. Never had it been this way for him. Even his former mentor Dumbledore never willingly came to his aid till after Harry, sometimes with Hermione and rarer still Ron at his side, has bested some calamity. At home he was completely on his own against the whole world. Luna's vision of love and friendship declared that what he knew of love was all wrong. Her soft words spoke of a beautiful relationship where all the parties involved gladly give and humbly take so none lay empty, but instead all were left full to bursting.

It was an exquisite view of life and real relationships, but in a way it frightened him. Did many of those he loved and trusted truly feel the same about him? Did Dumbledore ever really care for him? These were thoughts he could not address right then as the weeping vile Red Sister intruded on his lesson of what love is.

"How pretty." Tenesirin spat with a bitter hopelessness he never thought possible from any woman of her normally haughty Ajah, "Elaida will have them all boy, and you know it. I won't have my reward that I had hoped for, but I will get to see them made to howl. Oh how they'll be made to howl so bitterly they will cease to be human. All while you will be used for the glory of the Tower to discredit this al'Thor."

Visions of his Luna at the mercy of that vile hag had him nearly sick up. Every Voice in his head and the madness creeping into his soul snarled in total agreement. No one would ever touch his loves and friends.

"They can try. Neither us or our men are puppets or tools for your sort." Hermione challenged the shrew.

Harry saw and felt the adoring care his loves felt for him. Even their friends were gazing on him with care, including Alicia, whom he had been so cold to earlier. These women may wish to stand in the fires for him and his mates, but they must not. He knew what must be done to protect the lot. They must be above all else in his life. They were above all else anyway, but too many lives depended on their return home.

"I'll see her ashore." he spoke calmly while breaking eye contact with his lovely Luna. They could not see what he had planned.

Corilta Sedai's eyes regarded him before nodding, as did the other two Sisters. They had witnessed what he was capable of for his loves' sakes. They knew he would see to this no matter the cost to himself. Judging by the horror in the Red's eyes, she knew it as well. If there was to be a Dragon back home, his loves simply had to return in order to teach the ways of channeling. His scarlet stained hands would never scrub clean anyway as the Taint had to strong a hold on him. Ironically it would also be his executioner as well.

"You do realize that the Tower sees all?" the woman demanded in a plea for her life, ruining her imperious image was how she scrambled back away from him.

"Possibly." he snatched hold of her to force her to stand. "Why else would I be seeing to your care?"

Parvati was staring at him, imploring him to not do as he planned. Hermione and Luna were weighing that verbal byplay between him and the condemned Red with naked concern. Ginny had a puzzled look that was so much sweeter a vision than the hate she bore earlier. However Daphne was not content to remain silent.

Seeing through his calm demeanor immediately, she hissed tearfully, $She's no longer a threat. We removed that Harry.$

His calm hiss in reply had her bow her head to cry on Ginny's shoulder. $She breaths. She's a threat to you.$

Tracey swiftly moved to him and took his hand silently in order to press her own bodice dagger's hilt into his palm in such a way so that none would see it. A fiery spark in her eye told him of how that she'd do it herself for Blaise's sake. Not taking it, he lightly patted his newly sharpened belted on knives as if just wiping off some dust. This was a war of survival, and the Red was on the other side.

His would be victim yanked herself free from his grip, snatching away one of his belted on daggers. "Try and stop me ending your sweet precious man now you filthy whores!" she cackled insanely as she leapt upon him while lashing his dagger down wildly.

Trying to stop her, he overbalanced in the roll of the boat, to which she flung herself upon him. His jaw was sliced open by her frantic assault's first few slashes. Grappling with her he kept her from plunging his own blade into his chest, but received a deep gash in his left forearm in the offing. She was like a feral cat fighting to get free or make him pay for capturing her. With his left arm a bit lamed he was unprepared for her next stroke aimed at his neck, but suddenly she went limp as a rag doll. Slumping over him, she bathed him in a hot scarlet flood that flowed out of her neck. Protruding out from that long pale expanse, and the source of that gushing river of her crimson life fluids, was an elegant hilt.

Everyone was staring in horror at the scene, except for a weeping Tracey whom was kneeling beside him and the dead Red Sister. His friend was a terrifying sight with her shaking hands covered in blood and her crying eyes wild with hate. With everyone else locked in gobsmacked disbelief, he shoves off the limp form of his would be murderer to get to his friend's side. He knew personally the horrid weight of killing another human being, even if it was needed. The guilt could destroy his dear boisterous friend, and he'd not allow that if he could.

Gathering her up into his arms, he heard her mumble in horror, "I just couldn't let her hurt you and Blaise. I couldn't- I didn't even think... How could I kill someone? Oh Light I'm a... a murderer. What have I done, Harry? What have I become?"

Rocking her steadily in his arms, he whispered into her hair, "You're not a murderer. You saved me. You saved Blaise. I didn't want this for any of you, but she forced your hand. She forced all our hands. If you didn't do this, she would not have stopped. Tenesirin was the murderer, not you. She was a monster that had to be stopped at all cost. Don't let her kill you too. Don't let her win."

Cradling her in a protective embrace, he cursed his bumbling this. He was a Warder, he shouldn't have let the vile cow get the upper hand over him. He was just as culpable in forcing Tracey to stain her hands red with the blood of another.

"Yet another name..." spoke the solemn Voice in love with Min.

"Quiet. The past is done, the little Sister chose evil. Do not bear her guilt." another sagely advised, "War is burdensome enough as it is."

He wanted to bellow at them to stop filling his head. His friend needed the best from him, not his insanity.

"Alicia," Angelina quickly cut through the stunned silence, "You can vaguely pass for her in height and coloration. Help me strip her down so that you can get into her clothes. We'll get the captain to make landfall to _let her_ _off_. I know you can use partial disillusionment charms since forth year, it's time to put them to use for something more vital than sneaking past Filch. You'll disembark as her with one or two of us and a Warder, then vanish to ride back in with us. We're only a day or two away from Mearone so if _Tenesirin_ wishes to ride away now it's not to strange. We'll buy some provisions in the town to cover for our bringing the horse back. We can't let the boys know about this, or they'll question why we did what we did. Boys get daft when they feel they need to protect a woman's honor. If I could I'd obliviate Harry here as well. Especially as he's the worst of the lot."

Hearing and seeing the grim planning of the women, Harry had to reevaluate his own views of them. They were not the innocent girls he once knew back at Hogwarts. But they were not destroyed by the Tower either, but instead were just as much warriors as him and his mates were. Albeit they were not as blood stained as him and his mates either. Not respecting them and what they felt or did was wrong. They deserved his respect and more, though he had difficulty in not wishing he could have shielded them from the harsh world better.

In a carefully firm voice he spoke softly so as to not upset Tracey any further, "That would not have been necessary anyway. Tenesirin was not going to survive the night, and I was not going to tell anyone of it."

Hearing his dark announcement in assurance of keeping their secret, Hermione paled noticeably. Seeing that he probably disappointed her, hurt him terribly, but he would not yield. What ever the cost to himself, he'd see them safely home, even if he lost their love in the process. Knowing that he was a condemned man in any case, losing their love was probably for their own goods in the end anyway.

He could live with that, as long as they were safe and alive.

Swaying in tearful sorrow, Hermione came to kneel on the blood covered floor at his side. Surprisingly she hugged him close as tears poured freely from her gentle brown eyes.

Daphne was breathing in determined if shuddering breaths as she spoke, "None of us will speak of this ever again. Not even you three Sisters. What has been done, is done. All of us have got far too much riding on surviving this nightmare war Elaida's created."

Clearly shocked to be addressed in such a way by a mere accepted, the trio studied them in silence. Then Corilta spoke with a slight pinching of her lips, "Agreed. If al'Thor is the Dragon Reborn, the Tower can ill afford to be worrying over the questionable demise of a rogue Red Sister. Now Children, we must hurry before we're discovered here in this highly irregular circumstances."


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: I am not J K Rowling or Robert Jordan and their worlds of Harry Potter and the Wheel of Time. These two created the fun little worlds I have decided to play in with no thought of profit to myself. So I promise that if I did own these I wouldn't have had Hermione with Ron, though I would have been happy to see her be married to Rand al'Thor if ever the two worlds should meet.

($parseltongue$)

Some instances of both Steaminess and Femslash

I am sorry for the delay in getting this to you as my readers. I have been facing some inner demons and some other real life issues. I have not abandoned this story and will be trying to get this story posted to be enjoyed and read by you. Please forgive me as I am only a mere human with many a fault.

 **Chapter Twenty Eight: Waters of Life**

Riding the river all the way down to Tear seemed insane at first blush, however it was also the last place that the Red would be able to freely search for them. Tossing Tenesirin unharmed off in Cairhien had been a battle with the Aes Sedai, but somehow Harry had thankfully convinced them that it was best this way. Neville was glad to be rid of the hag. She had been a cancerous sickness that would have destroyed their chances of survival. That or she would have forced their hands and wound up with something dark being done in order to deal with her. It shamed him to admit it, but he was doubly glad it had been Harry that had to face the Sisters. The lot were not exactly a pleasant bunch to have to live and work with, unlike Kaliandra had been.

Thinking of them gave him even more determination to avoid the ruddy lot. Each were trouble in there own ways just waiting to explode in the coming days. Starting with the obvious problem of having the Green, Kinerial, whom already held the leashes of two Warders but with the passing of a third in the escape from Tar Valon, she was constantly eying the five Warder trained wizards. Any sane man should fear an _accidental_ bonding, but more so if he is already mostly trained as they were. Next of these inconvenient Sisters was a Brown named Sualdra and her well schooled Aes Sedai incuriousness that never failed to be near at hand for any conversations of the Hogwarts band. For an Ajah that is supposedly dedicated to the study of knowledge and wisdom, there are too many examples of their being just as manipulative. Not even Hermione could be said to be solely dedicated to books. This stranger Sualdra very well could turn out to be an enemy all too easily. Finally came the leader in all but name, Corilta Sedai, a Blue that never learned the meaning of no and had commandeered the groups escape. Her relative even temper may be easier to deal with than most, but she was of the opinion that ruled over them all. Of course this has led to her and Harjit butting heads near daily.

Yes it may be cowardly, but he was well and away glad it was Harry's job to deal with the trio of Aes Sedai. Being free of that, Neville could just lay low when the arguments explode.

However nearing Tear, a nation with strong dislike for Aes Sedai, the women had to go undercover, though this stricture was less on the girls who have yet to develop their ageless faces. Ironically even if Tear is prejudiced to channelors, it was nonetheless recently conquered by the mightiest of all time, so it was forced to be more accepting of the lot. One reason that they had came here over going anywhere else. At least till they could escape or if Corilta learns where the rest of her Blue Sisters have gathered.

Neville was no fool as he knew the Sisters would not willingly let the girls get away from them for any reason. Another fight he imagined in the coming days that his best mate would no doubt be having with their trio of goalers.

Spending so much time daily running and other physical exercises in his training at the Tower had gave Neville a desire to see to continue in keeping himself in shape. In the freedom of the run he could lose himself and his worries. However being jammed up on this boat for so long had made making port a blessing for his stir craziness. Plus the scow's walling its way down the river gave him an empathy for the silly Seandra who had been a mess floating on the water. Sounds of retching began to wear thin on everyone's nerves the last river ride they were on. This ungainly scow forced them all to have a turn or two at the emptying of their stomachs once or twice. If he would have been forced to stay on the annoying water craft much longer he may become permanently green around the gills.

Fresh sea air and the sounds of a bustling port city bolstered his flagging adventurous mood that had grew in him in Caemlyn. Sojourning this insane world may not have been what he wished to be his fate, but Neville had been learning to enjoy the opportunity. Where once he'd been a rather slothful cloistered soul, he was now bursting at the seams with a wanderlust and hunger to actually live life. Exotic sights, sounds, and smells blunted the horror that became of Tar Valon, Cairhien, and his own being a wizard. The Taint and having a career that revolved around the butchery of his fellow man did not lend themselves to accepting his lot in life. However seeing the world and helping people made up for them. Standing on the pier watching people living life reaffirmed his conviction to continue his own life.

Warm arms encircled his middle with a head laying on his shoulder, cause him to tense Smelling Padma's favorite scented oil, he relaxes to look over his shoulder to see her long luxuriant black hair bound up in a simple plait that he knew would extend down to her mid thigh. Her dark eyes were alight with mystery and longing.

It stole his breath every time to see her gazing on him like this, luckily he could now still speak. "Hello love. What's on your mind?"

"I want us to marry. Now, before anything else happens." she kissed his shoulder tenderly, "All that fighting in Tar Valon and seeing the smoke in Cairhien has me a bit worried. If I lose you like we nearly did my sister and Harry..."

"What of your desire to attain the Shawl?" he asked delicately. After being raised to Accepted, all the girls were dedicated more than ever to becoming full Aes Sedai. Or had been before Elaida's bloody coup that swept the White Tower.

"You mean more to me than the Shawl." she mumbled into his back with a few more kisses for good measure. "That is only a title for this world. You're the man I want for the rest of my life."

"What will your parents say? They have hopes and expectations for you by what all you and Par have said?" he turned around in her arms. "I don't want you to lose them."

"They won't be a problem I hope." she entranced him with her eyes. "I think I can get them to see that this is a good thing."

Taking in every little tiny detail of her, he replied after a moment or two of silence. "Well if you can face them and want us to make this permanent, I can and want it too. I'm yours mind, body, and soul."

She stared into his eyes longingly, "What do you want?"

"I want to be a healer and travel the world aiding those I've seen in need of a kind hand. Bring safety and wellness to those that have never been championed." he cupped her amazing, gorgeous face in his scarred battle hardened hands. "But I want to be at your side and you happy as well. My place is with you."

"As mine is at your side and seeing you happy." she nuzzled his caressing hands with a sigh, "You dream of saving others, just as I do. We're a matched set, Nev."

"So you still want the Yellow? Pads, bond me, right here and now. Make me yours forever and never fear for me wandering, getting lost, or stolen by anyone. I'm ready to be a Warder, your Gaiden. Every time a Green, or a newly raised Sister wanders by, I cringe in fear. Will they steal me when I belong to you?" he leaned down and kissed her. "Take me now while we're safe and alone. I want this. I need to be yours."

Her eyes grew as large as saucers, "Oh Nev! Are you sure?"

"More than." he kissed her again before kneeling at her feet in proper ceremonial form, "I give thee my life, blade and blood, heart and soul, forever and beyond. I love you Padma." The last he added to emphasize his desire and willingness.

"I- I- I accept- I accept Neville Gaiden, with all my love." she placed her hands on his head and in a sudden chill his world turned and spun as a knot of his love's emotions took up residence in his mind.

Kneeling may be the traditional form used, but it also may be the wisest course of action as his muscles became jelly like. Here now he felt her desire and love in its fullest. "Merlin and Light, blood and bloody ashes! It's amazing!"

At the same time as it is hitting him his love cries out in joy, "Oh Nev! I feel how much you love me. Its incredible!"

Padma, his love and owner of his Bond, collapsed into him where they share a fiery kiss that set their new Bond aflame as they were in a world all their own.

Hungrily she rained kisses on him as she giggled out, "We've done it. We belong to each other only now." Her lips claimed his with her tears mingling with his, "OhNev... I'm so happy."

"Oh dear. Well that was foreseeable." a voice spoke from behind them.

Springing apart while simultaneously spinning around to face the speaker, they both burst into flaming blushes. Shock near stalled their hearts and not only from being caught illegally Bonding. The owner of that voice couldn't be here.

A stunned but very much alive Kaliandra Sedai was staring at them, with an even more surprisingly alive Therell behind her. "Goodness me. Goodness, this must be kept quiet my dear children. Highly irregularly, but it was bond to occur."

Scrambling to their feet on wobbly legs, they tried to comprehend how this miracle could have taken place. Speechless and blushing, Pads barely managed to curtsy in respect. Neville was able to bow deeper with a rushed, "It was my idea. I beg-."

"Shh! I'm not against this, child." the ancient Brown Sister smiled reassuringly. "Just don't flaunt it yet till your Mistress has attained the Shawl. Though I am quite vexed with you two. Tell me why the pair of you are here outside of the Tower. Do not make me drag you dears back there."

"It has occurred. Elaida has deposed the Amyrlin and seeks to annihilate the Blue Ajah." Neville reported as he'd been trained to do when questioned by a Sister.

Kaliandra grew a pained expression, "Light preserve us. Well that is of no concern to what me and Therell are working on. If what you say is true- and I no doubt it is true- I must be on my way immediately. Children, neither of you two have seen us.. We are both happily departed. Now let's be gone from here Therell, before any of my young and excitable Sisters se either of us."

Therell, his beloved mentor, clapped Neville's shoulder in gruff fondness, "Serve her well, Brother."

"Blade and blood, Brother." Neville replied with his heart swelling in his chest, "I'm glad you pulled through."

The man was special beyond words.

"As am I. It's a miracle really." the old Warder said in passing, and like smoke the two were gone among the crowd and crates. Neville's confusion, joy, and love was mirrored in his lovely Padma.

A flock of seagulls swirled past distracting them from their shocking discovery. Shaking this off they notice they are being watched by a number of people themselves.

His love took his hand, "Let's get going too. We have been gone far too long. The others might be worrying about us."

"Not just yet." he swept her up into another scorching snogging.

When they returned, they could hardly resist glancing at each others with joyful secretive smiles. Neville was addicted to how it felt when she gazed on him.

Blaise, whom was sharing tender glances with Tracey now and again, asked slyly, "Is there something we're all missing?"

Neville could hardly help but chuckle, "Not unless you missed that I'm the luckiest bloke alive on two worlds."

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Booking passage on a ship took time in a medieval world took an unsettling more amount of time than the modern teens from Hogwarts were discovering. Especially with all the inconveniences of dealing with the ideals of such a backward set of humanities thinking. Bigotry of others is nothing new to them as that was the basis of purebloodism, but then they were all discovering life as being the ones considered inhuman by the populace in charge. Tear hated their kind with a venom that went beyond words, thus they could not remain hidden here forever. However they had to have a destination and a safe route there. Blessedly they discovered the first, just not the second outside of avoiding an overland trip there as they would face to many that might decide to end them.

Discovery of the Blue Ajah and their allies hideout in the distant sanctuary of a town called Salidar, the Sisters had set it as the groups destination. Oddly the trio were less than enthusiastic with going there and set the task of arranging the journey to the Warders. Part of this stemmed from the necessity of traveling to the wild barely civilized city of Ebou Dar. The locals of that region were said to be not only extra sensitive to slights of honor, they were given over to the whole idea of dueling in the very streets to settle their differences. Thus it was with visible disdain the Aes Sedai cared little for the need for themselves to be exposed to the seething hatred of Tear for channelors. In disgust at these witches dismissive and cavalier use of the men, Daphne had insisted on joining Harry and the Warders to try and locate a ship and captain instead of hiding inside the Inn as she had while in Caemlyn. Cowering had did them no favors then and she was unwilling to repeat the same mistakes.

However a difference in then and now also lay in her heart. When she was in the capital city of Andor she held a starry eyed hope for their promised land of Tar Valon, as it was where she could devote herself to learning how to use Saidar. Salidar was not such a hope for her, not even if it supposedly offered them all a new home. Following the disastrous horrors of the White Tower, she only ached to ride for her true home, or at least manage to return to Hogwarts. Not aiding the cause of Salidar was the terrifying rumors that keep filtering in ever wilder tales of the Dragon Reborn and his Aiel followers, combined with the insidious mystery of these Seanchan invaders.

Supposedly the Dragon Reborn though was going to sweep back into the West and crush all opposition to his rule of the world. Stories also claimed that he had the aid of Aes Sedai that stood at his very side, some of whom sounded an awful lot like that Blue Sister Moraine and the trio of powerful runaways Egwene, Elayne, and Nyneave. If proven true, he was a potent force and deadlier man that may topple the severely fractured White Tower.

Of course a Tower that was actively capturing men who could channel, not in deterence of them destroying the world, but instead to raise them up to be set lose as False Dragons was not a group she cared to make a stand with. Playing at pulling these False Dragons down for personal gain and to cow the world would be like the Ministry of Magic funding Dark Lords so that the populace stays timid and docile. Evil was too meager a word for such an abomination and those that would practice such. Adding that these criminals had targeted her Harry to be used as such made it unforgivable.

Walking through the bustling city in the middle of the Warders, Daphne found herself simmering with these distasteful thoughts. Helping in countering them was the none to secret joy of having a chance to ogle her delectable wizard ahead of her. Harry was looking incredibly tasty just then as he swept through the crowded, dirty docks of Tear. Watching him move yummily about in the local attire of baggy harem style pants, funny platform shoes, and no shirt, had her decidedly flustered. She just craved having him take her in his arms. Having him, but not having him because of the stodgy Sisters was torture. Still if they could find some privacy, along with the answer to how they could all Bond together, the pain would lessen somewhat.

Following a lead her love found in a dive bar yesterday, they were seeking to gain a meeting with a Captain Nerman, an Illianer that has been drydocked by some damage to his ship from a misadventure out in the Sea of Storms. With Tear's long bitter history with the sea captain's homeland, they were praying he would be amenable to braving the Sea of Storms before the storm season set in fully. This was likely their last chance to locate a ship out of the caste ridden, bigoted nation. Otherwise they may end up risking an overland trip or riding out the rough season as they had in Caemlyn that one winter. Then again with the drumbeats of war pounding, their five strapping wizards were likely targets for press gangs that now infested the city like swarms of rats. Five mere fodder for the meat rending warfare of medieval sorts was not how the witches wished to see their loves.

Envisioning her love out on such a battle in the service of this conquered, land of bigots had her physically sick to her stomach. His life and their love deserved better than allowing such a travesty to take place.

Reaching the disreputable public house, the Dagger and Silverspike, that the Illianer was said to have set himself up in had taken far longer than it should have. Avoiding press gangs took them on a wider circuit than was convenient, but in times like these loss of convenience was a far better sacrifice than the alternative. If forced to watch her love be snatched up by such, she might well lose her grip on sanity and become creative in chastising anyone daring to attempt it. The Dragon was more than capable of crushing other nations without her lovely Harry's help, thank you very much.

Crinkling her nose at the stench of the docks that was trying to twist up her middles by the fragrances of the city's wastes and the fish mongers lining the quarter. Getting out of this miasmic scent's direct exposure would be a blessing she was looking forward to. Her love's holding the door for her has her smiling in appreciation. Unfortunately upon entering the dive spoiled this as the stench of the place made her cringe as it far out stripped that which was outside. It was a rank smelling disaster with no redeeming value.

All of the seedy patrons looked of the lowest caliber possible as they swilled what passed for an alcoholic beverage here. Those which appeared to be the worse of the lot were also the loudest as well, judging by the rakish bawdy song they sang lustily. Its lyrics she could manage to discern from the slurry mess of their voices made her blush a deep crimson. With her groups need to find a ship to take them away from Tear turned the songs tale of a girl's paying for passage aboard a ship, "bound for the port, beyond the port beyond", almost personal. Though she would turn any man to suggest this mode of payment into something highly unnatural.

Eyes swivelled towards her as she delicately stepped deeper into this unwholesome hole. What those glances and flat stares promised made her feel dirtier than the pub's filth encrusted floor. Stripped bare in ways mentally, just as the lewd song suggested of its heroin was literally done to. It was no wonder Tearin women wore dresses that covered them neck to ankle. Here in this unwholesome den she dearly wished hers did as well. Funnily it was not even scandalous by its Andoran shoulder high neckline and longer skirts. In contrast was what the barmaids wore which exposed quite a bit of flesh, and that is not including the thin sweat drenched material covering but still showing their ample charms.

Luna's reluctant description of what Elaida had treated her like came to Daphne while Harry and the Warders asked after Captain Nerman. _"She molested me with her eyes first, to break me down for a long time before she made it physical. It only worsened from there. No amount of washing has cleaned that from my skin."_

Daphne could now claim to understand that much better. Crabbe never came this close as filthy. He would be actually taking note though. The only time he might use a quill except as a way to clean out an ear. His bosom buddy Goyle was probably still too dim to realize the opportunity to heighten his loathsomeness.

"Captain Nerman? You be lookin' fer that scaliwag of a mannish woman? What could yer be needin' with that one now? She be a big one fer her privacy. It'll cost yer a fair bit a coin fer me ter be disturbin' her." the Innkeeper replied to the Warders questioning of him.

That was beyond shocking. What sort of woman would willingly stay here at this vile dump? It was too unbelievable to contemplate.

Harry dug out a travel coin purse of their's and jingled it sharply to show they were not the average dregs of the streets. When the grubby proprietor saw this he licked his lips with naked lust while dry washing his filthy hands on a filthier apron.

"I see she may be lookin' fer a spot a'yer company in the privat dinnin' room she be lazin' 'bout in. Felaria, get yer rangy hide over here ter be guidin' these fine folks ter Nerman." the fellow snatched the purse greedily from the air as Harry tossed it up to him.

Funnily Daphne could fully comprehend why this woman sea captain would wish to dine free of these leering hordes of rotters. Having to eat down here amongst them would make any sane woman possibly swear of food. Most assuredly it would end up with a woman give up the entire male sex by how they were literally drooling over the young Daphne. Not even Harry and the Warders standing protectively around her phased the blighters in the slightest. These drunken vile curs were like as not dismissing the thought a boy and a couple of land lubbers could kill them all and not blink an eye. To these sea rats was only the vision of the untasted treat of a young bit of trim, ripe for the plucking.

The need for a scalding hot bath came over her the longer they stayed in this rat hole of an Inn. Her question of the sanity of this Captain Nerman for even daring to sleep in a place like this one. If it was up to her she'd burn the place to the ground, not take a kip inside it.

$Luv, I'm sorry to have taken you to a bloody place like this. Those lot of wankers down there probably deserve being hauled out to the ocean and tossed over.$ Harry hissingly whispered in her ear as the serving wench guided them upstairs.

Quickly squeezing his hand she hissed I appreciation, $It's alright I insisted on coming after all. It does reaffirm how lucky I am to have you as my man.$

Knocking on the dining room's door before entering the barmaid grinned apologetically, "She's a bit of a different one, she is. Sails by her own wind, that one does, good sirs and ma'am."

A gruffly barked woman's voice called out, "Who do be darin' ter be disturbin' me meal? Eef yer be fergettin' my requests fer privacy Grebs, I still do keep me cutlas as sharp as the last time. Guttin' yer sorry hide may be a blessin' fer the world."

At the heavy, half slurred accent Daphne idly had the image of Hagrid in a dress.

"Some fine set of lads be fer a requestin' yer services, captain." the wench bellowed back with a leering wink for the men. "Their coin be as good or better than yer's ma'am."

"That may be, but they be a pretty sight? I do be intoler'bly tired of river rats an' shoal skulkin' pikers." the woman inside asked in a hearty boom.

"Aye they do be that ma'am. Tasty as any a land lubber lairds I've ever a'seen." the wench again winked at the men, leering as luridly as the grog scoundrels downstairs at Daphne. "Though they've a pretty little slip of a lass with them as well."

The door opened and a slender young man with a winning smile that enhanced his scarred olive complected face as he examined the men quite frankly. Large earrings and other jewelry gleamed in the ruddy smoke laden half light of the Inn, "Aye luv, they are a fine sight."

"Good. Let the loobies in then, Rhandiul." the gruff voiced woman inside barked.

Entering the secluded room, Daphne baulked at the sight of an older swarthy woman with long graying dark hair in a low ponytail, sitting in Tearin style men's trousers with heavy calf high boots propped up on the dining table. A loose white silk highwayman's shirt hung open from the captain's hard tanned and battle scarred torso, barely covering her abundant femanin charms. Glittering from the woman's face, ears, and neck were a wide assortment of elaborate jewels. Disturbingly this roguish woman sea dog was ogling the men immodestly, and once she saw Harry, it only grew more pronounced.

"Lovely darlings they all do be. Get them some a'tha best grog there do be in this rotten tub. A wee drink'r'two 'fore we do set 'bout buisness will be fine. Loosen up our guests so ter speak." the woman leaned forward to Daphne causing her to blush at the captain's dress and words, "An' yer name me lovely lass? A woman do be needin' ter know who she be a dealin' with. Just a quick question, are ya attached ter that right tasty laddy with them dazzlin' emerald eyes? He be given me timber shiverin' ideas for havin' me a right fine warm bed ter lay me down in."

"He is. The others are spoken for as well, and by women I highly suggest you avoid irritating. We have plenty of gold to make a speedy departure Tear before the storm season comes raging in. Trust me in that we can make it well worth your time." Daphne cooly replied at the implication of what the captain wished to do with Harry. It was also shocking that it was her that the woman chose to deal with. "What we're willing and able to pay, you could stay in places far better than this hole."

Dejectedly the woman asked, "Care if yer pretties an' yerself eat a meal with me. I do be lonely and yer lads got me thinkin' less a captain an' more a woman."

Glancing at Harry for guidance, Daphne saw him nod acceptance, "We'll join you."

Sitting down she started to get a bitter chill. This was going to be risky but to stay was not an option, so she suppressed it for now.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

On some days Ginny truly hated the fact she had brothers running out of her ears. Times just like this bloody day in the Light forsaken land of Tear. Whereas the men and boys could go about the bloody hot coastal city as the whole ruddy lot were not suspected of being wizards, she and the rest of the ladies were quickly pegged as witches. That and the trio of Sisters they were stuck with had taken to following the same rules of procedure as Kaliandra and Naleva. Namely to box up and tie down the witches so tightly that they either snap and go homicidal or suicidal. For herself it was looking to be the former, and either the boys or the Sisters would get it.

It wasn't fair that Daphne's smooth ways of wangling a trip into get a ship was readily accepted by the trio. It was no secret that they needed one, but couldn't they all have went? Or more to the point couldn't the entire Circle went with Harry and slipped in a chance to set the record straight on things that have been distancing them from him? Plus they could explain that it was not just the Circle owning him as a Warder, but that each and everyone of them were to be married to each other. Then she could also avoid having this very awkward conversation she was now trapped into by her two brothers here alongside their fiances.

"Why can't everyone get out of my bloody bedroom?" she wanted to scream as her roguish twin brothers stared at her in their own versions of their dad's stern look.

Ange and Ali were smirking at her as if they knew all along that this sit down was inevitable. How those two could not understand that Gin was completely within her rights here, she'd wring from them later. Sadly her brothers were not the sort to be cowed by the Weasley Witch Stare.

"You've yet to answer us Gin-Gin." Fred cooly demanded.

"I did, its my life." she spat simply.

George grunted darkly though, "No Ginnikins. It is also Harry and the others lives as well. You are playing a dangerous game here. Harry in particular is a delicate sort in this area of life. Trust us when we say that he is not one to get riled up into a lather for a bit of blood work. We love you lot but he is far too scary for words."

"Besides that," Fred added with a mirthless grin. "its bloody cruel to them all. We love them all like brothers and sisters too. So will you explain, or are we going to have to go fetch Harry and them to get this all understood."

"The rest of the Circle will feel the same." she hissed in challenge.

"Then we will just have to talk to them as well. Gin, you may not realize this but Harry does truly love you lot. However you lot all seem to be only using him as a cover wizard of late. Well except Luna whom is not herself which is bloody terrifying in worse way. We wizards may be daft buggers on occasion, however we are not idiots or mere tools to use and abuse. This goes for you two our lovely other halves." George spoke authoritatively, just like dad would in their shoes Gin was startled to realize. It was unnatural.

Hesitantly she reached for her cup of water to focus her mind. It was just not right that her wild and reckless brothers of mischief remind her of Dad. Then there was the awkwardness of discussing how her and the whole Circle were in love with not only Harry, but each other as well. This was not how they were raised, and she was afraid they would suddenly grow to see the world like how their mum saw things, wrong and bigoted to the point of madness.

Alicia sighed, temporarily giving the youngest Weasley a reprieve. "Look you two rascals know very well that we would never see you two as that."

"That whole notion is the Tower trying to destroy what we have." Angelina assured the duo of doom. "Me and Ali were going insane in that hole on Earth for the lack of you two. All of us witches were getting a touch barmy from the ruddy place."

Savoring the Saidar cooled water, Gin spoke up finally, "Fred, George why do you think me and the Circle do not love and care for Harry?"

"We heard all the rumors that you lot had turned into Pillow Friends. We dismissed it till we saw you and Hermione snuggled up one night on deck." Fred replied.

"Then we also caught sight of you in Parvati's arms snogging it out for all your worth two nights ago. Plus there is the fact that you lot have been avoiding talking to Harry and he's getting a bit darker for it. Only Luna seems to seek him out these days. When we ask him what is going on, he just shuts down and sets to doing some task as if to simply stay busy." George furthered their case. "From what we've learned of our brother in all but name is that some wanker is like as not going to get hurt in rather unique ways. We don't want it to be you."

"Don't you think it might be for the best that some secrets are kept?" she sidestepped them.

Ange traitorously cut that of though by saying a bit too much in Gin's opinion. "There are secrets and then there are secrets. The tricky bit is knowing the difference."

George grunted tiredly, "So Gin is a crested hen, this isn't news to us. Percy never shuts up about it at home. We just thought that she loved Harry more."

Gobsmacked Ginny squawked in horror, "He told of that? I thought... Oh Light, I'm ruined for ever being accepted back home."

"Why? None of us that love you care that you play seeker for the other team." Fred rushed to assure her, coming to her side in a flash.

"I don't play for the other team." she wept out while her mind grew dark at the horror of being mind wiped by their mum and Percy to "cure" her.

Ali sighed in defense of her, "Gin is not something dirty."

"We didn't say or think it." George defended themselves. "Only Mum and Percy would think that. We're just mad that she is playing with so many people's hearts. Harry in particular if the girls are already in the know."

Taking a bitter pull on her water, Gin confessed with no small amount of tears drenching her face and dress. She didn't even realize that she'd began to cry. "I'm just me. Us in the Circle are in love with one wizard alone, and no other will replace Harry. However we are also in love with each other too. There are things we can't talk about here, if ever, that happened in the Tower. These things led to us seeing and accepting things in ourselves. We've been trying to find a way to speak with Harry about them, but it can't be done without thought. Then there are some things we all don't fully know ourselves. The point is, I am in love with five people so deeply my heart aches to be with them forever, but only one is a wizard. There are you happy now? Care to rip more out of me till I'm bleeding?"

"We didn't want to hurt you, but we were not going to let you hurt others is all." Fred hugged her tight while George wiped her tears.

Feeling stupid and silly, two emotions Gin loathed to feel, she spoke bitterly, "I'll never hurt them. Never. They are what gives my life meaning."

"Well may we suggest that you sit your beloved beau down soon and tell him what the lay of the land is?" George petted her hair like he did when she was still in nappies.

"We're afraid." she mumbled.

Ali snorted, "Harry loves you all, and is shared by you all. He'll still love you all if he has to share the lot of you as well. If he doesn't, he's not worth all this mess."

It was what she felt, but there was still that fear that he'd reject them too now that it had been so long since they realized how their Circle had changed.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Standing in her room she shared with the rest of the teen witches, Hermione bathed herself by the only way these Tearens thought sufficient for day to day care. However she despised the idea of living like this as a wet rag and bowl of water was not near enough to banish the sweaty funk from her flesh. Frankly she dreaded what her loves thought of her unholy funk that she just knew she was exuding as she was constantly sweating in the most inconvenient of locations on her body.

Not a pleasant experience in her humble opinion at all. Medieval life was not a joyous wonder she would ever adore, or ever dream of repeating. Hot showers and lighter summer clothing would be very much welcome to her when they all return to their proper Age and Earth.

The creak of the door had her let out an undignified squawk at the all to real possibility that the Inns all male cleaning crew had decided to pop in to do a bit of tidying up. Another difference from what she knew and experienced in other lands and her homeworld. Tear saw women that worked in places like this as being just this side of whoredom. Therefor few went into service at Inns and now she had to dread the invasion of men into her most private of moments. Thankfully it was only her dearly loved Par this time as she rushed to cover her bare flesh in a dive for her towel.

"Oh, sorry!" her love yelped in apology, "I should've knocked. I didn't think Ione."

Her lovely Circlemate was hurrying to shut their door with a blush staining her dusky cheeks and ears. The Hindi witches forehead and neck were sweating as badly as Hermione's had before this direly needed bath. A welcome sight to her as she had always felt a bit of envy for the seeming flawless perfection of the her prettier friend.

"It's alright. I should have put a locking charm on the door. I wasn't thinking either." she assured her friend, while also her heart traitorously was hoping that her lover got a thrill out of catching a glimpse of her too.

Par turned around to face her with open enjoyment of what was seen, causing her too blush all over. However her Circlemate didn't speak of it as she launched into a topic all of the Circle were struggling with. "Ione, when are we going to sit Harry down and settle this all? I don't want to hide us from him, and I also think he is not planning on returning home with us. He has been buying supplies and more for himself and his horse. Plus Pads overheard him and Neville asking some detailed questions of the Warders on how to survive in the Blight, along with what all lives there and how to kill them."

That had all been a bit of a rushed jumble but amazingly Hermione understood it more or less. She knew Harry, and what she knew was that he had decided something but now hid it from her "for her sake" as he was wont to do.

Sighing in defeat of not ever getting clean in this muggy hole of a city, she started to get changed. Only to have her lover surprise her by taking the towel away with a quick kiss and devilish grin. "Care if I join you love? I feel I must smell like something in Hagrid's class. Plus I think I owe you a show too. Plus we need to get this straightened out, and I don't want the Sisters to catch wind of this."

The impishness of it had Hermione on fire with desire and a blush that surely scorched her skin in a burst of crimson. Feeling the daring of the moment though, she squeaked out, "Well I'll never say no to an offer like that."

To her delight, Par slowly disrobed for her but kept on their thorny topic of Harry and his probable disastrous plan of running off to Ride the Blight. "Ione, what if we sit him down tonight before we all find a ship to wherever the Sisters wish to pack us all off to. He's like as not going to get us aboard then make a run for it. I feel him distancing himself from us by the day. He acts like he's not, but I know him. Please, I can't lose him."

"You think I can?" she stopped her study of her Hindi love's breath taking show. A bit of a fury at the thought that she wouldn't chase him down if he even dared to try gave heat to her words. "I agree we need to change his mind, but we can't just up and say what us in the Circle have decided in front of the rest. Then there is the fact that we're not even sure Daphne and Luna are ready for this. Luna in particular frightens me. Whatever Elaida did to her may have made our dear Raven not trust us if we all came out as lovers."

Par sighed before slipping off her shift to Hermione's startled joy. Being afraid she was not a good girl for her attraction to girls had made her ashamed of her many romance novels where girls like her found love with both boys and girls alike. Then there was her theft of her father's Page Threes and discarded magazines from his days in the service. Yet here was her and Par standing together in all their glory for each other. It was making it hard for her to think. If only their Harry and Circle were with them, she might think of doing some rather wild and naughty things with the lot.

Yet the thought of her loves Harry, Daphne, and Luna sobered her some.

Par sensed this as she took her into a hug and a kiss for her cheek, whispering, "We need to approach them my love. We're losing them by all this hiding. The Tower has made us hide from everyone, but if we all want to be married together one day. Ione, my love, we can't live as if we're still in the Tower or at Hoggy Hoggy Howarts. Ione, when we get home I want to take all of you away for all our own good. Yet if we lose everyone on this backward Earth, I'll never wish to return either. I'm not strong enough to be alone like that."

Her lover slowly took the wet rag and ran it over her back with deliberate care while never breaking eye contact. "You know as well as I, he deserves to know about all that we've not been able to share with him because of that bloody nightmare Tower, or the ruddy laws back home. We can't ignore he is madly in love with us in the Circle but is also rather emotionally fragile. I need him and you lot, too badly to not see that he understands all of this."

Reveling in the tender ministrations of her lover, yet trying to think clearly as well, Hermione was bloody terrified that she'd destroy her Harry if he was to be surprised by their coming out. Daphne and Luna may not be in on the lesbianism that Gin, Par, and her are exploring , but they both at least know of it. They also have their own secrets they've been keeping quiet on, even if their Slytherin member was merely keeping the rest of theirs. Of course Hermione could feel that the pureblood princess was coming closer and closer to joining in on the fun. It was in how the reserved aristocrat's eyes glowed upon seeing the rest of the Circle. Yet she knew all too well ow hard it is to accept one's own sexuality if bi or gay.

Poor Luna though may never get to where she ever lets anyone have her in any intimate way though. A terrible truth that none were ready to let their Warder wizard become aware of. A thorny mess to overcome if they were all to reach both Harry and Luna before the pair vanish from their lives once and for all.

"I can't think this way." she let out while pulling away from her witch. "I can't just think on the fly about things. This will take planning and care. I wont lose them by being rash about what I say and do." She began to tremble in disgust at herself for enjoying herself while Luna was broken and Harry facing his untimely end if they stay on this Mirror Earth to their own.

Pulling her back in with a fierce hug, Par cradled her close, "I know my love. Yet you've been running from this as well. Gin-Gin is certain we're all going to fly apart from these secrets, but has been too beaten down by her mum's vitriol to say anything. That leaves it up to me and you, but if you continue to try and reason things out we might lose them all. I'm not near strong enough or smart enough to hold us all together, even if it is all I want in life."

Sniffling back some of her uncertainty, Hermione tried to focus. She understood being the only voice speaking when things must be said. Squeezing her lover, her future wife if they could find their right path, she let the witch be a point of evidence for this problem she had no answer for. She had five very important reasons to stay clear headed. Her Circle and Harry were her life and future.

"Par, do you think we can set Harry down tonight and bring him into our fun? Surely you and Gin can help me make it feel like he's very much a part of it all. If we could only get Daph and Luna to join, it would be all so much easier, but at least with us three he'll feel it was a natural extension of our Circle's existence. Light if I could keep him focused on staying at our side by it, I think I'd let him have me. I want it but he seems ready to bolt every time he is reminded of my last attempt to give him myself."

Par frowned at this and Hermione was afraid she'd upset her friend. When the Hindi witch spoke it was a relief and then not, "What if we three all tried as one? I want him and the others that way something dreadful. My family would be horrified how much I want it, but I don't care. Light I'm such a tart."

Kissing her love to put an end to thinking like that, Hermione resisted her own desires to pull the girl towards their cot to take such a large step in their lives. They both stayed in place instead and enjoyed their embrace in its own right as Par took to rubbing their breasts together in the heated kiss.

"Merlin!" Daphne's voice, "Why is it I always come in on these moments. Light and love its making my being straight feel like a curse. Well never mind that now, loves, we've got a problem. We've secured a birth on a ship to leave this boiling madhouse, but as soon as we did my senses went wild. Some storm is coming with it and I don't think we're going to be able to avoid it."

Trying to cover themselves from embarrassment, the bathing lovers were afire with lust and freezing with fear. Had they all waited too long? Could this be just a bit of bad weather and not a disaster in the make. Daphne's Weather Speaking was still too new to them as a magical gift. Then there was their plan to keep Harry from fleeing them to protect them from him.

"Tell us-" Hermione started to say when in rushed Ginny looking close to coming apart herself. This could not be good or a coincidence if the Wheel was playing at some unfathomable game. Some days it just didn't pay to be a witch.

"We've got to figure out how to tell Harry of us, or- or my brothers will. They know about us and are afraid Harry will break from us playing with his heart." their spit fire love explained before seeing that she had burst in on something, "Bugger me what am I missing?"

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Taking advantage of his alone time while guiding the group's rented pack mules to _The Fair Eyed Lad_ , Harry fought with his fracturing sanity. He did not think it would be wise to burden the others with the truth of his Voices. It would only cloud his loves' minds when they must be concentrating on learning all they could of Saidar.

Strangely the sight of the dark ocean water calmed many of them enough to let him only battle the annoying Lews Therin. If that could be called a blessing, he snorted in thought.

Out beyond the forest of masts and the ant like swarm of people on the docks, he could make out some of the calm salt water of the protected bay. Tear's port had been built in what he felt the American city New Orleans had been blessed by, a treacherous to navigate delta flood plain. Its swampy shield kept pirates and invaders in check while also forcing traders to pay for the right to do business with the tightly controlled city.

He appreciated the ingenuity of these arrogant seaman, yet he loathed the sensation of being trapped by it as well. Then there was the way his madness was suddenly seemed to grow to be waiting for something once this Captain Nerman agreed to meet him and Daphne. He didn't trust that at all. If his madness wanted something he probably should flee it, not charge straight in with his teeth and blades bared. Then again he was a true Gryffindor to the core, so he felt he should conquer it as well, if for no other reason than his loves were about to charge in any way. If he could clear the way and make all their paths straight and gentle, so much the better no matter the cost.

A commotion nearer the dirty dock buildings caused him to turn to see what possible threat there was coming. At first he missed most of it from the press of the crowd, but when there was a parting of the people he saw a well dressed man laying sprawled out on the dirty cobble stones. Horror was spreading through the witnesses at the discovery as a pale faced bloke gibbered insanely to those nearest him.

"Blood and ashes the laird just up and fell over drowned as I live an' breath. He was asking directions to that Inn with them queer batch of women are, then he fell dead, he did!" The fellow yowled out to the mob, "Water just started bubblin' out of him as he spoke."

"They must be more of them murderin' Tar Valon witches. Bloody Aes Sedai are gonna break the world again. They want us all a bowin' and a scrapin' to the Dark One I tell ye." another salty old fellow bellowed causing the crowd to murmur and spit curses.

Harjit was no fool, he had to hurry and get them all on board their ship soon or this lot of halfwits would try to pull something. Stakes and bonfires could very well be the main ideas circulated by the more bigoted of the frightened mob. Even he felt a touch of it as men just don't drown while standing on dry ground gadding about. There was some twisting of the Pattern involved but these idiots wouldn't have the mental faculties to comprehend that fact.

Tugging on the leads of his charges he ignored Lews Therin screaming out, "Its here again! We can't be for taking in a cruise, we must burn it all down. The Darkness has them. Burn them, or we'll all burn with them!"

"Shut up you miserable old fool. Shut up and let me think for a bloody change." he cursed mentally while suppressing the images of his friends and lovers being burned alive at the stake by a howling mob of bloodcrazed halfwits.

What ever water had murdered that poor blighter back there had set the course for Harry's lot. It was get out now or die in an orgy of murder mad mob violence. At least while out at sea he could get his head back on straight and possibly spend some much needed time with his loves. If he was even a touch lucky, he may be able to get them to see that his end was near and it was time they said their goodbyes.

"If wishes were fishes." he snorted out loud. "Light, while I'm at it I may as well hope to get us all safely home together."

Sighting the captain on her ship's top deck, he relaxed some. First things first, and that meant getting them all out of one more simmering kettle of a city. They had cut things too closely in Tar Valon and Tear looked to be worse.

"Ahoy there me dashin' laddy buck, did yer lovely lass be a darlin' and be a'sendin' ye ter me fer the night? If she did I'd be a thankin' her later, but be a needin' ye and yer mates to be aidin' me boys. Some've up and run off ter swear life an' limb ter the bloody Dragon. If we be fer a sailin' I need a solid lot as crew." the Captain hollered down to him as he angled in past a lot of Sea Folk unloading their own ship.

A Warder's duty to his Aes Sedai was never without a twist or two in the road. What was a day or two as deckhands compared to facing off with a mob like the one brewing on the docks? Besides the work could turn out to be a spot of fun as well as let them work out the flab they've been growing from sitting idle at the Inn.

Bellowing back his answer he couldn't hide the smile of a new adventure splitting his lips, "Well I'm still not at your disposal for a chase around your cabin, but me and my mates will man your ship. We'll do anything to be shot of this heap of Dragon's dung. I could probably get all the fellows to haul a line or run up a sail if we can leave tonight or tomorrow. Tear has long lost its allure to us, and there was little there in the first place."

Looking a bit defeated, the Captain laughed heartily enough, "Tis a sad state ye be in. I'd be a fine teacher to ye of the sweeter arts of battle. Alas the Wheel be a cruel one. As fer Tear, I can whole heatedly be in agreement with ye. Twas never a more worthless city to be planted than this, unless it be one of them beyond the Waste. Go get yer lot, me boys will load yer stuff and we'll be fer settin' sail in the mornin'. If ye be a'wishin', ya'll can stay aboard ship ternight so we can be sailin' the Sea a'Storms afore these lot of lazy loobies be wake enough ter realize we've up an' left their city."

That was music to his ears. Maybe the Wheel was giving them a good turn after all.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Watching her Harry standing the night watch with Blaise, Luna was uncomfortably aware of Tracey at her side. The Slytherin was acting as oddly as Padma of late when it came to their own boyfriends. Then again it was painfully apparent that all of them had been scarred by the White Tower in some way. Home would never feel or be the same to them after life in the elegant confines of the Aes Sedai stronghold. She just prayed that it had not destroyed them all like it about did her.

"Bloody knot head is becoming more and more a Light blinded Kitten by the day." Tracey sniffed out of the blue.

"Kitten's are nice to snuggle with I find." she giggled at her punning wit. It felt good to laugh again and not be scolded or...

Tracey's frown had her aware that she had lost track of the moment again. It just hurt so bad to be always reminded of Elaida, even by the things she loved most in life. More than once she though it might be prudent and less painful for them all if she stopped existing. Stopped the pain from swallowing her whole. However that would only cause her loves pain in the offing. A thing she found rather frightening, making her silent pain all the more vexing.

"You are allowed to cry, Luna. Trust me, keeping it hidden and trapped inside will tear you apart at the seams." Tracey softly assured with clairvoyant ease. "You have the right to live. To not be ashamed by their crimes against you."

"If I cry he may go and do what will let her win in the end." she countered in agony.

"Tell him you need him more than his Kittenish tendencies. He's a rather stronger sort than that lot's usual fellow. He also love's you more than life itself." her only seemingly forever witty and cheerful friend corrected her. "We're blessed by having two of the best blokes a pair of witches could ever find. My Blaise knows what took place, and after I sat his lovely bum down to let him know how much more I needed him to stay at my side instead of doing something drastic, he's never left my side willingly. It's one reason I killed that Red bint. I never thought I'd ever be a bloody murderer, but for my Blaise, I'll set the world on fire. Your brave little Lion is growing on me too. He's my brother after all this, and as such I can feel safe in saying he'll do as my own bloke for you."

"I've told him, and he made me promise to never leave him like I did out of fear he'd reject me." she answered with a sniffle at the memory.

"Men are a daft deaf lot. Especially Kittens like your lovable lump over there. You need to show them your love. Let them feel it inside you and through you." Tracey sagely advised.

Staying silent, Luna weighed all that. It was hard to be calm, cool, and collected these days. More as she was haunted by the many promises of her one time Mistress concerning her loves. As the more volatile, Harry wouldn't bat an eye to go charging back to the Tower to tear it down for good and all. Even if he won though, he'd have to use Saidin and thus be destroyed in even worse a fashion.

Thinking themselves alone, Harry and Blaise start up a conversation of their own. One both witches are too keen on overhearing too say more in theirs. Though it was odd that Luna swore Blaise glanced straight at them for a fraction of a second before speaking to Harry.

Yawning with a stretch that popped his back loudly, the Slytherin caught his mate's attention, "Hey Harjit, have you given much thought to letting Daphne and the rest bond you already? I think they're going a bit on the barmy side with worry. I know Tracey is a little restless of late. It's not as if we have anyone else to answer to these days."

Luna's ears strained to hear her love's reply and was frustrated at his adroit side step. It was said that though an Aes Sedai was to be a master of the turn of phrase and the secrets it kept, Warders were the natural lords of that ability. Her Harry's words only emphasized this.

"Bonds can be formed by a thousand different ways, and not merely by a crafty weave. They also can give a fellows loved ones just as much pain. I want to feel normal and good, but the Wheel has seen fit to speed along a cloak I am loath to wear. Yoking those I love with it as well seems a touch selfish. Luna is a ghost already, dare I kill her by this? Do I let myself be the rotting sod that murders the hearts of Daphne and the rest as well?" Harry spoke in a distant voice, with his face never turning to meet Blaise's nod of understanding. "The Wheel ultimately knows, but I'm afraid to see it answered. Blaise,-." Her love's fists clenched tight the ship's rail and his wicked mace, with a violent shake of his head, "Blaise, keep this to yourself. Neville already knows how I feel. The Twins suspect, but that is nothing new as they can ferret out anything. I don't think it's safe for me to return to home. However the thought of Daphne and the others facing that batch of lying butchers has me ill. If I go home... If we ever can find the way to pull it all off, I won't let them or any of you suffer a life like mine. Dumbledore is probably the kindest man in the world, but has a tendency to not lift a finger when it comes down to actually protecting the children at school. Voldemort is a murderous sod that has a hard on for hurting people and I'm afraid he's going to find a way to come back. Learning that we're like as not going to have our own Breaking on top of this has me thinking I may have to do some rather unappealing things to a lot of people. Only I'm not fairing well with Slytherin's Doom. So mate, please be ready to look after my loves as I'm positive they won't understand what may be coming for me."

Horrifically, Blaise only asked, "If you'll do the same for Tracey. She's made of steel, but some wankers back home poured acid and sand in the mix."

Extending his hand Harry didn't say a thing more. Nor did Blaise as he shook on it.

Tracey and herself were very close to bawling. Luna knew that they all had likely killed a person or two since coming to this world. Fighting for one's life against faceless enemies in a battle can end up doing that. They had known the vile Red personally, thus it haunted the Slytherin even if necessary for protecting Blaise. Yet Luna knew that her friend had also faced what she had too. Hearing Blaise and Harry talk of abandoning them for their own protection went and cut them both to the quick.

Wizards could be so frustrating when being overly noble.

However Luna refused to lose her's by being timid about her love. He just could not be allowed to ride off and leave her behind. He was the rocky island that saved her time and time again in this tempestuous life she was forced to live. Loss of him would kill her. To flagrantly walk away and let him leave her? That was impossible, and if she ever did try that, she'd never have deserved him in the first place. She'd have deserved to be left by him in the Tower.

Thoughts of the place made her feel sick. No one deserved what took place there for her, but she endured it for him and her Circle. To let him walk away to die alone, would make it a cruel farce. Even if she had to face down the Dark One himself, she'd do it for Harry and her Circle. They were her soul mates and that was that.

Taking Tracey's hand though the feel of another girl's skin next to her own made her want to vomit just then, Luna led the charge to put their fellows where they belonged. Right at their side, even if it meant never returning home themselves. Either they all went home together or none of them went home.

Oddly Blaise didn't seem all that surprised to be accosted by Tracey as that girl swooped down on her fellow Snake. Luna's Lion however was left staring at her in awed love full of fear and tenderness. He'd not suspected her to be here, but eagerly met her with a soft, gentleness. His arms were trembling as he half lifted them to draw her into him. He may not know what had been her fate in the White Tower's clutches, but he knew she was distant and sad because of it. Their time on the river had been a start to her learning to live and love herself again, but only a start. It was up to her to let him know that yes she still needed him to always have his arms ready to take her into their warm protective embrace.

Drawing on every fiber of her remaining boldness, she stepped in closer to him with her own arms seeking to meld herself to his shielding presence. He was a right bright lad as he saw she yearned and was open to his love. In a flash he held her to him with a reverence that had her knees grow a bit weak. Wrapping her arms about his neck kept her from swooning like a silly loon. His gentle rugged power was intoxicating in all the right ways for a witch.

"Harjit, do you know how much I need you? I don't think you do. Seeing that we're now out to sea with nothing much to fear, I believe its high time I show you." Kissing his lips was so natural and right for her that she felt a tightness in her chest give way. Its passing inspired her reach her hands up so that she may tangle them in his delightfully wild mane. His cupping her bum as his ardor took fire for her had her squeak in surprise, but gave her the fun excuse to lift her legs up behind her as her tootsies took to curling.

When they parted from a distinct lack of air, she whispered softly, "Harry, where you go, I go. Where ever life leads you, it leads me. When it is your time to return to the Pattern. So will it be my turn to do so as well. If the Wheel steals you away, I won't live long after you. I love you, Harry."

"What if I want you to go on living for me? Luna you and our Circle is my greatest treasure. Promise me that if something takes me, you won't let it destroy you. To know that you five live on will ease my heart. Seeing you so broken hurts me to the core. But to lose you utterly will make even heaven an endless nightmare." he confessed in anguish.

"Just as you made me promise to never leave you like I was doing inadvertently, you have to make some to me as well. Promise me you'll let us bond and marry you one day. Promise me that you won't deliberately run out on us for any reason, knowing that you'll never return... Promise me that if you have any strength at all, you'll return... return to me, and then I will promise I will go on living for you. Just don't dare try and get me to promise I'll find someone to love me as my husband." she demanded, surprised at her own heat in the process. It hurt to say all that, but she had to know he'd not do as she feared.

Leaning his forehead against hers, he gave in, "Luna, I promise you all that. I promise as I promised in Tar Valon to you lot of crazy witches I love too much for words, I'm yours and will pray I get the chance to make honest women of the lot of you. Just please forgive me if I lose the battle inside me."

Kissing him again in celebration of her triumph, she thought of how not all battles were of violence and bloodshed. However that didn't mean they didn't come without pain. "Love is forgiveness, Harjit, and I love you with my whole being."

She thoroughly enjoyed his kiss in response to her declaration.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++WOT/HP+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Hard biting salt tanged air laden down with a frigid mist from up off the blackish blue sea bathed the bared upper halves of the former Warder trainees and other men aboard the accursed Fair Eyed Lad as they toiled under the miserably hot scorching sun and the blistering tongue lashing of Captain Nerman. Sailors had to be a salty lot in order to simply survive this brutal baptism of unforgiving nature and the ships that defy it. A brining of the soul and the attitude that comes with it was birthed in the vast empty blue world of watery abyss and fickle skies where flea like tubs of lumber skip across the waves. Soft pliable souls need not apply for this sort of work or should expect a warm hardy welcome if they dared attempt it anyway. This was not a life or career for them as it would wither them away like a wetted bit of rawhide left out in the sweltering sun. Nor was it a place for those who get even a hint of motion sickness, vertigo, or were on the wimpier side of the scale all mankind is measured by.

Straining his back, leg, and arm muscles while hauling on the spider webbed rigging lines following a bad turn in the night from a freakish squall that blew in out of the south, Harry was thankful they were all still alive. The straight line winds tried their best to uproot the main and mizzen while the water churned up waves fifteen feet in height to drown them. Clear and unquestionable proof that this was not a place favorable to mankind. Facts that made Harry painfully aware of the perils he'd completely failed to anticipate in his agreeing to the Aes Sedai plan of sailing the Sea of Storms in its worst season. Then again convincing any Sister of a plan contrary to their own was a fool's errand for any man to dare try.

Never mind reality or the fact that this ruddy stretch of ocean has been aptly named for many an obvious reason. Many a nodcock has been lost for traversing this murderous length of rocky, ship hungry water, and that was in prime conditions. This run was not anywhere near to being in such gentle times as the dared ride the winds to avoid the tumultuous affairs on land. In truth they were more akin to a giant rubber ducky in a child's bath as they spent more time bobbing about helplessly in the roiling waves. Unfortunately unlike those bits of buoyant plastic, him and his were dependant on the resilient sturdiness of sodden lumber, brittle tar, and a few examples of carpenter wizardry from a no doubt drunken shipwright.

Dwelling on this didn't improve Harjit's souring mood as sweat ran in rivulets over his sorely put, weary muscles. Ironically he couldn't tell that this was happening on account of the showering of sea water he was receiving that had him drenched to the bone. With all that has transpired since coming to this backward, medieval nightmare of a world, it's a given fact that him and his mates were well beyond ready to put into port and ride like mad for home. Barring that they would take riding across the stable land of the continent even if they had to wade hip deep in the entrails of any toss pot that took to the notion that the witches were either easy pickings or worse. True, they were all good solid Englishmen and thus from a solid seafaring background in the eyes of their home world, and yet not a one of them thought this trip a jolly good romp in the briny deep. Nor did they feel a pull to ever do a stunt like this one again. It was far and away better to carve a path through armies of Whitecloaks than worrying if their leaking wooden tub was going to make it through one more round of what they had got last night. Their luck just wasn't that good to imagine that miracle, even if they prayed it was.

"Bugger me, mate." Blaise gritted out as they held the lines taut for the regular crew up on the mast madly trying to replace the sails and subsequent rigging, all of which was needed as the original had admirably came near to sinking them when it came down. "Harjit can this trip get anymore insane? I'm as rugged a bloke as the next wanker on the whole, but this is bloody mental to try pulling this stunt off right now. Oceans have ate whole fleets of more robust ships than this busted up old scow. Light we're going to be lucky to limp into port, let alone make it whole and sane to wherever the Sisters have planned out. Burn me if we don't regret taking in that lot back in Tar Valon."

"Debts and honor never are a Warder's pair of friends." Harry grunted contritely an old maxim of the Gaidin. "They saved Parvati's life."

"Fine," Blaise groaned as the wind picked up on them once more. "But why didn't we just ditch the bloody cows in Tear and dug our spurs in for home? They're just itching to put our girls in Accepted dresses as if the Light forsaken Tower isn't a broken lost cause. Blimey they're a stubborn lot of loobies."

"Be easier on them mate." Harjit scolded while slipping slightly on the polished wet decking. "They have never lived a life beyond the controlled environment of the White Tower."

"You're just missing the fun and excitement of pulling night watch on the Tower Kitchens. All that watching empty pots drying, the snoozing spit dogs, while a bevy of red headed Novices make cow eyes at you. This is a cushy duty to pull after all that I'm sure." Fred chuckled through a grunted heave on the heavy ropes pulling them inexorably out of position.

George barked a weary counter to that as he tugged manfully at the bloody rigging, "If that is the case brother mine. Blaise is pining for Snape's leech barrels or Filch's detentions. Both of our surly mates are missing the point of this little jaunt. You see Fred, my dear other me, they have no idea that this is just another fine lesson from the Pattern for us poor daft sods."

"Lesson?" Neville questioned incredulously.

"Why of course it's a bloody lesson, mate." Fred replied with forced amusement, "Why how else can the ruddy pattern not teach us mere mites that life can be short and exciting."

"Notice that we don't say that this is fun for us." George amended with glee.

"That is a guaranteed truth there brother mine. Though what bit of class work is fun for us my brilliant other me?" Fred countered in agreement.

George nodded sagely with his face straining under the pull of the rope he was hauling on, "This class though is one we can't skive off from. Unlike Snape's Potions and subsequent detentions, life here is demanding we see were not fish and bobbing about on a bit of planking will fail to make us aquatically inclined."

"Skiving off from Snape's detentions isn't wis either." Blaise snorted with his feet slipping on the wet decking, earning a snarled reprimand from the Captain. "Bugger I could do with being back in Hogwarts."

"Missing Snapey Snape's leech barrels?" George barked a weary laugh.

"Hardly." Blaise blew out with a renewed effort to hold fast in order to avoid earning the ire of the Captain again. "Us Snakes that won a detention from the Great Bat of Bats never got light duty detentions like that. Try going in and cleaning the bogs for the public looes under Filch's tender guidance. Now that is meaning of nasty and cruel."

"Given that you're not wittle Lord Dwacky the Ferret Prince, a I right?" Neville rumbled with more ease than the rest of them. Being built as strong and large as an ox was giving their mostly laconic mate a huge advantage here.

On the other end of the spectrum, Harjit had the build of a runty Yorkshire terrier. Hardly a physical match for any of his taller, more hale mates. Definitely a clear contrast in comparison to his giant of a friend Neville. How Harry became the pack's alpha, he was always mystified but at this moment he felt utterly inadequate as his arms trembled under the stress while his fingers were slipping. Losing his grip now would be bad, very bad. If he let go, as was like as not going to happen, his mates and the rest of the men working may well get hurt. Plus if that took place they would be delayed even longer out here, which would have them perilously close to facing more of what the got the night before. How much more of that their lumber made island could take was not a thing Harry cared to test. He was positive disaster was out there lurking in the blue shadowy depths surrounding them, hungrily biding its time to devour them.

All the proof he needed for this fear was to steal a glimpse of his lovely Daphne burrowed deep under both her own and his heavy cloaks in this infernal tropical heat, shivering away as if they were sailing headlong into the bitterest winter gale. Knowing of her sharpening Talent with predicting danger from storms of man or nature confirmed his own suppositions of ill fortune awaiting them. Thinking of her had him try to catch a peek of his beloved, and was rewarded with a view of her striving to stay out of the misty breeze. Yet her eyes met his with a longing he wished they could indulge in, and reaffirmed his will to do all he must to see them all safe. In this case he had the choice of staying only personally safe with his physical abilities alone, or making use of his greater gifts. A harsh choice, but one he felt he must make for the sake of all those he held dear.

It was time he delve into himself and wrestle within the Void's emptiness to harness the terrifying Saidin again. Even if he dooms himself to dying even sooner from the Taint, he must see that everyone else return home. They may not make it home safe and sound, all things considered, yet they would be home. Home and able to live free of this world's madness and to teach what they now knew of the One Power. Plus his loves could see a life free of the insanity of the White Tower and the rest of these Aes Sedai Sisters whom think nothing of using everyone around them like cheap tools.

However he wasn't alone in beginning to fail here. "Bugger it all mates!", Blaise groaned under the strain as the ship took to pitching about in the roughening seas, "I'm losing it here. I'm sorry. I'm about done in."

"Don't yer be for a quitin' on me ya black hided son of a land rat!" the Captain bellowed angrily at the aristocratic wizard.

"You bloody think I want to, Captain?" Blaise spat out while the ship took a twisting lurch to the right then suddenly reversed course on them.

Struggling in a scramble, all the men on the rope lines tried to keep their feet and the thrice cursed strips of hemp. Not even the few sailors among them were doing well in the rollicking they were getting.

Fred grunted with a heave on the line, "Glad we've been building our stamina and grace for killing Whitecloaks."

"Brilliant my living mirror." George snarled in exertion, "I just wish we could anchor these ruddy lines with a few. Preferably by their wide bullish necks."

"Focus. Use the Void lads." Corilta's laconic Warder barked sharply.

Harjit had other ideas for the Void. Exhausted as they all were from the battle of the previous night, they hd to get this done as quick as they could or it will only get worse. So while the normal, ungifted men fought solely to hold fast on these sweat and sea slick ropes, he scrambled and tore about in his mind to drag down the One Power so that he could take more of the burden for them all. His loves' lives, and those of his friends must come before his own.

Blaise's dark eyes grew cold and flat as well, but Harry barely noted it as he struggled with the wild torrent that lay buried under the Taint. Wrestling mightily against his distracting impulses of a highly active mind in a stressful situation, to grab hold the wild majesty of Saidin in the vast empty darkness of the Nothing. If not for the relentless hammering of the Warder training and the blacksmith Master Trainers he'd had there, he'd been this close to plunging into the forging flames of the One Power. Nor would any of the five young wizards be of any help to anyone here on this ship as they would be far from able to even focus long in this mad moment. Without focus this deadly calm of the Void was only a fantastic dream or cruel fantasy.

Every shred of Harjit was rebelling at his attempts right them as all he was pulling into himself was more and more of that oily wrongness of the Taint shrouding it. With every try his stomach twisted and turned, while his bones screamed in outraged disgust as it corrupted his very marrow.

"Blood and bloody ashes..." Blaise half wept, half snarled in anguish before saying in their rarely used English what Harry felt himself, "The bloody filthy stuff is coating my very soul. I feel it eating me from the inside out."

Only able to nod in self loathing disgust, Harjit doubled down on his fighting to do as he must and keep the lines pulled high for the crew. " light! How I wished I could simply draw wand again and put this all right with again with a few swishing flicks of my wand." He screamed at himself in his mind.

Gritting his teeth in a rictus grimace, Harry was fighting to keep his feet and very soul in this war with nature. A war him and his mates were losing, alongside a layer of the skin on his palms as blood seeped from around his death grip on the rope.

Knowing that he was about to fail he nearly fell when a chilly charge washed over him in accompaniment with the sea spray sloshing over the rail and his mates. A sensation he knew all to well from his many days in the White Tower as a human lab rat. However it was welcome when his burdening rope slackened some from an unseen force taking much of the weight that had bested him.

"That's it girls. Together we can do far more than even the stoutest of men with all the muscles in the world. Do you see and feel this with me? Do you comprehend the weight of our inborn duty and power to protect this tumultuous world we live in? In this link, we share all. Linked as we are now we share each other's strengths, such as little Luna's amazing gifts with Air overcoming even my own deficiencies in that direction. Watch as I craft the weaves we must use now in order to complete our journey. Learn and unite yourselves with me and each other so that we may see our way safely cross the Sea of Storms." Corilta Sedai lectured from some place behind him and the rest of the men fighting the accursed lines. "Remember to accept one another, to accept all of existence, to be filled with the placid power of creation itself as we unite and do as we wish in guiding our world to its best potential. Hold together ladies, and be as one with each other."

With this came an even greater easing on the lines as if there were three or four more good solid lads on the job, pulling the ruddy ropes to where the Captain wished everyone to be holding them. It unnerved the regular crew, but Harry felt only relief as he need not strive to wrangle control of the rope and the bloody Light forsaken One Power. If only he didn't feel the near overwhelming urge to hurl from the cloying taste of the Taint mixing with the blood from his bitten cheek. Yet that was not all that bothered him. The fact that he failed to win control at such a crucial moment galled him the most.

Failures like this were unacceptable if he were to protect his friends and lovers. He must get better so that one day the lot can go home safe and somewhat whole.

"Whole?" one of the voices in his head howled, "This isn't whole. Far better to sink this scow and end it. End it ALL!"

"Shut up will you and let me think. I can't think with you gibbering on and on like this." another snarled in command, "If I can't bloody think the world will die."

"Let it! Burn it, burn it all!" the first screamed in deafening defiance.

"Think? You think? This is my head your both infesting." Harry growled at the pair in disgust. It was disquieting to have actual voices in his mind other than his own.

"I'm no voice in anyone's head cur." the first railed back.

Two sets of hands on his shoulders jerked him free of this. Fred an George were giving him matching worried frowns, but said nothing. They seemed to be trying to shield him from seeing Ginny, Hermione, and Parvati whom were standing close together while Corilta Sedai led them in a lesson of using Saidar. If he wasn't so tired he'd likely have snapped at the pair even if they were worried about him. Seeing his loves was one joy his incroaching madness could not steal from him.

"Mate you going to make it?" Neville asked Blaise, the slender normally put together fellow was hurling the contents of his stomach over the rail in noisy fashion. A sight the regular crew thought quiet amusing, though Harjit feared he knew all to well its cause. If these hardened sea salts knew it, they'd either try to pitch them or themselves over the side in horror, not laugh good natured humor at the oddness.

Tracey, Harry saw, was conflicted in her gaze following her lover at the rail. She was distracted enough to get a sharp reprimand from the Sisters for wandering attention. It wasn't surprising to see love and humanity in Slytherins these days for him. If truth be told it should never have been a problem in the first place. Without the discoloring pigment of all the hate mongers back home in their endless futile war of blood purity, he could see a truer image of humanity in everyone he met. People should and deserve to be taken on a case by case basis of personal merits instead of the unnatural lumping together of souls into convenient if false pigeon holes. Even the spiteful seeming Red Sister Naleva turned out to be a worthy person to have met. Whereas he was discovering that many of those he once trusted outright from before were not so worthy of such trust.

"I'll be fine mates. Just the bloody heat out here." Harry told the pair, but was also trying to send a message of reassurance to his own lot of anxious witches, like the trio the twins were standing in front of annoyingly enough.

Unfortunately he saw that none of them or his friends took that as the truth. Luna's stern stare was the most shaking to feel leveled on him. How could they trust him when it was his and the other four wizards to go crackers before trying to end the world in the most astounding fashions? Was this how Salazaar Slytherin felt when he realized he was doomed to destroy all that he'd fought to create for the good of the World?

That was a grim turn of thought, but so very fitting he almost chuckled in mirthless self loathing.

Weak as a kitten, he stumbled over to the water barrel nearby for a chance to escape even Emmatilde's weighted worry for him. Even if it may feel justifiable to just go ahead and scream at the lot that he was bloody well fine and to leave off, it wouldn't serve anyone any good at all. In fact it would only worsen the situation as it confirmed their fearful suspicions.

What he should be doing in light of today's debacle was practice finding and mastering Saidin. Then again he knew that would doom them all if he did such a wool headed move. Exactly what he must avoid, and dreaded to his very core. To wake up stark raving mad covered in the blood of all those he loved, or even slightly knew.

Taking care to not end up in the roiling, tossing drink or sprawled out on the pitching deck of the Fair Eyed Lad, he studied the sky in hopes of discerning the coming weather and his own worth as a person, Harry took some shuddering breaths. Above them was clean crisp blue world free of tainting pollutants, unlike his own soul. It was far cleaner than he'd ever seen it in his own Age and Earth. Thinking on it, he saw that it even put to shame the seeming pristine mountain valley of Hogwarts that at one time he felt was absolutely perfect. No pollution, oh how he ached to have that said of himself again. It was humbling to not see any streaking of white contrails, or the hum of industry marring this majestic vista. Such perfection was rare and holy, yet it terrified him as he was a befouled destroyer waiting to tear it all apart. That and he knew something dark a wrong was coming inexorably for him and his.

If only he knew it wasn't himself that may be that dreaded wrongness.


End file.
